Last month, former gojek CEO Nadiem Makarim made headlines when Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo appointed him to the position of Minister of Education and Culture.
Though rumours of the appointment of a startup founder to the new cabinet had long circulated, his appointment led to an exciting discussion among local and regional netizens –particularly the tech ecosystem.
People are particularly curious about why Makarim, who had no background in education and culture management, was chosen for the post. What can a startup founder bring to the table? How is he going to tackle the challenges that the country’s education sector is facing?
On Wednesday, Makarim made an appearance at the People’s Representative Council to present the five key programmes that he had prepared for the ministry.
The following is a list of those key programmes, as compiled by Kumparan:
1. Character building
Makarim puts critical thinking as one of the most crucial points that the Indonesian education sector need to tackle today. This is particularly related to the flood of information as enabled by the rise of digital technology.
“Our youths need to be able to think independently and critically, and able to question the information that they receive,” he explained.
Also Read: Now that Nadiem Makarim is a minister, what is next for SEA startup ecosystem?
2. Disruption in bureaucracy and policy-making
Makarim pointed out how the regulation that the government has been issuing often fails to address the challenges that the education sector is facing, particularly when it comes to quality control.
“We want to improve the quality [of our education system], so we issue regulations. But we fail to check if the regulation actually works in improving the situation,” he said.
3. Investment and innovation in education
To be able to innovate in the education sector, Makarim stressed the importance of collaboration with the private sector.
“The President has also mentioned that we need greater investment in the education sector, but the reality is that our regulation has not been able to make it more attractive to potential investors,” he said.
4. Job creation
Makarim also brought the point on the importance of nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit in students.
“We need to improve the competitiveness of our education [system] and culture. Graduates of our local educational institutions should also be able to create jobs,” he explained.
5. Technological empowerment
While he stressed the important role that technology plays in opening greater access to education, especially in remote areas, Makarim said that technology can never replace interaction between parents, teachers, and students.
“Education happens in two spaces. In the classroom, between teachers and students. Also at home, between parents and children … The key lies in these two spaces and no technology can ever replace that connection,” he closed.
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Image Credit: Husniati Salma on Unsplash
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