Educational Reform: Role of Educational Technology

This is an Opening Remark, conveyed at the Fourth Symposium on Distance Education and Open Learning: “Technology and Educational Reform”, Bandung.

Introduction
The strategic environment is lately experiencing a very basic and fast development. In the national scope it develops a reformation demand triggered by the monetary crisis. While in the global scope we are demanded to follow the movement of democratization, conservation of life environment and upholding of mankind’s basic right which by most advanced countries is recommended as values which have a universal significance.

Facing the challenge of the strategic development of the environment, I am of the opinion that the most important effort is to prepare is mankind – Indonesian citizens – to be able to answer the challenge and development in conformity to the demand of time. In the Guidelines of State Policy (G.B.H.N.) 1998 is stipulated that the priority of the long term development plan is on the field of economy in line with the quality of Human Resources [It might be appropriate that the term “in line” is substituted by “supported”].

Further the Guidelines of State Policy also stipulated that the long term development plan
is directed to enhance the quality of Indonesian man and the community in order that it is
better advanced, stands alone and is prosperous based on Pancasila. A reliable source of income is the main product of education. However, only questioning the product without questioning the process how the product is produced, is a work which is less significant. Education is the main process in producing significant human resources.

The message which is implicitly contains the meaning of the role of education in the efforts to enhance the quality of human being does not receive enough attention from the community and the government. The resounding demands in reformation lately are mainly on the field of politics, economy and law. Seldom is heard a demand on reformation on social matters, especially education. While education will decide the future of men, community and nation of Indonesia. How good the political order, economy and law are, if not supported by people who are not imbued with personality, the order is of no use. The personality itself forms an object of form of education, namely a human being with a characteristic of belief, obedience, intelligent, skilled, socially sensitive and love his own country.

The next question is “What type of education can result in such product?” In general this question can be answered with : “Renewed or Reformed education”. Therefore I appreciate any initiatives for educational reform. One of which is this symposium eith the main theme of “Technology and Educational Reform”.

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