Education Must be Based on Future Needs: VP Jusuf Kalla

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla said at a national seminar themed "Format of Education to Enhance National Competitiveness" at Yogyakarta State University (UNY) that education must be developed based on future needs.

"Education must always be based on the future; otherwise it will turn into a museum," he said at the national seminar in Yogyakarta on Saturday, where he was the keynote speaker.

The Vice President then explained the clear differences between universities as educational institutions and museums. Although both are tools for learning, the orientation is different.

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"Colleges look forward, museums look back; if universities do not look forward, they will become museums, and of course we do not want that," said the Vice President.

He stated that UNY as one of the teacher training colleges would certainly see students graduating, with 70 percent of its alumni becoming teachers.

"Nowadays, teacher education is improving in line with the rise in teacher welfare, where state universities or former IKIP are now more in demand," he said.

Jusuf Kalla explained that education is strongly influenced by four things. The first is the educator or teacher—the quality and level of knowledge of the teacher.

Second is the education system or curriculum, third are the facilities and infrastructure supporting education, and the fourth is the environment or cultural environment surrounding the educational institution.

ANTARA