The 21st Century has signified one great change in the way the people are Educated, especially in Emerging Countries. One example has been implementing International Education, into the local Educational system.
A good example of this is in Indonesia.
In the space of ten years, Indonesia has de-regulated the once rigid State Education system, and allowed localized private Schools to offer International Education to its own citizens, as well as expatriate children.
This has allowed Indonesian-based students to study locally Cambridge, International IB, and UK IGCSE programs in private Schools in the Cities, and Towns across the Islands of Indonesia. And produced some amazing results with Indonesian children often ranking alongside their British and American counterparts, equally.
Some critics of this policy have stated whilst the State provided Education system sometimes lacks the basic facilities, a new “elite” of Western Educated Indonesians are being created, who can afford the higher school fees to enter these Internationalized Schools.
But studies have showed that in the 1990′s, this new educated “elite” were often sent to study in Singapore, Australia and the USA, and now their Western-educated Parents prefer them to study closer to home. It also allows more Indonesians to allow their children to get an International Education, when they previously could not afford to send them overseas.
Many Indonesians have always looked Westwards towards getting a better Education, with many Indonesians today working in the nations urban centers holding Degrees mainly from American , and Australian-based Universities.
Local Critics cite the recent Economic meltdown in Countries outside Indonesia, claiming that perhaps as Economies failed – so has the Education system wstem that created the Leaders who presided over the economic decline of many of these Countries, and Indonesia imitates these Countries too much.
The “westernized” Education system these Schools offer ,are Internationalized- but also in the long term may teach values of Countries some say are alien to the local culture. Values that are based on “pop” culture, and Western ideas, rather than Indonesian “family values.”
Some Academics see this trend as disturbing, when a new generation of “western” Educated Indonesians may run Indonesia, at a time when some economists do predict that China, and India could be the main influence on Indonesian society.
Other Critics state that students lose their cultural identity, and become less of a National Citizen, but more of a global Citizen. Identifying with the United States more than their own culture, and often migrating there, once they have finished studying.
Those that agree the changes are beneficial, claim that Indonesia will have a new generation of citizens both ready and able to cooperate, and compete in business with their Western counterparts. Bringing wealth to Indonesia.
However to most Indonesians, an International Education offers opportunities in Indonesian society and beyond, that a State system can only provide from certain Schools. And until that changes, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian children, will attend local Schools studying IB programs, and IGCSES, and in some cases gain higher examination results than their counterparts in the USA and Europe.