Season of Mourning Dead Education

By: A Jefrino Fahik

Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat, the Governor of NTT, implemented a policy of entering school at 5 in the morning. Laiskodat dreams that one day NTT will give birth to local sons and daughters who have high discipline, who can simultaneously compete in leading universities in the country and abroad.

So, today came the cycle of selling out ideas. The idea is to improve the quality of education and student character. In a rough calculation, the quality of education in NTT has not yet reached the desired quality of education, namely eight national education standards: graduate competency, content standards, graduate process standards, educational assessment, facilities and infrastructure, educational staff, management, and financing standards (Kompas.id, February 25, 2023).

According to data from the August 2022 edition of the Strategic Plan (Renstra) for the Education Quality Assurance Agency (BPMP) for East Nusa Tenggara Province, in general the level of literacy ability at the senior high school level is at the Below Minimum Competence (Basic) level, with a score of 1.69 (range 1- 3). This value is lower than the national average of 1.8.

Also Read: Viral Today, Not Only School Entry Hours Half 6 but ASN in NTT Kupang Entering Work at 05:30 WITA

Of the 22 regencies/cities in East Nusa Tenggara Province, 15 regencies/cities have a literacy level below the Minimum Competency (Basic), and 7 regencies/cities have a literacy level Reaching Minimum Competency (Cakap), namely Ende Regency, East Flores Regency, Lembata Regency, Nagekeo Regency, Ngada Regency, Sikka Regency and Kupang City. Of course, like many other statistics regarding blurry symptoms in NTT, this figure needs to be read conservatively.

Vision Poverty

Laiskodat has a target for SMA/SMK in NTT to be able to enter 200 SMA/SMK or the equivalent of the best nationally superior schools. However, the target that has been carried out since taking office as Governor of NTT has not been achieved.

Based on his legality as governor, on Tuesday afternoon in the hall of the GMIT Synod Center, 28 February 2023, Laiskodat came up with the idea of ​​improving school quality by changing school entry hours, from 07.00 in the morning to 05.00 in the morning.

Also Read: The Policy of the Governor of NTT to Enter School at 5 in the Morning Reaps Controversy, Recognizes the Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Teenagers

Unfortunately, due to poor vision, solutions to improve the quality of education are sought on the basis of legality, not quality. The approach was executed on March 1, 2023, the day after the governor’s speech on February 28, 2023.

Here it becomes clear that approaching the problem primarily as a matter of legality is a stunted approach. Indeed, no one will object because it is the governor’s instructions and regulations.

However, isn’t it like many other things in NTT, making policies based on legality actually creates many tragedies? If this question seems tacky, the resistance in NTT, for example the resistance from the residents over the regulation of entry fees for Komodo National Park in Labuan Bajo, the resistance from the Basipae residents over the confiscation of their customary land rights, is certainly not as extensive as it is now.