Our economy:
Indonesia's economy is heavily a market system, with very limited levels of government control, much like the U.S.'s economy. There are some very clear differences though. There are still some lightly populated islands in Indonesia that live using a traditional market with almost no outside interaction, and for the most part these areas are left alone to their own devices. Also, in the 1990's, the government absorbed many private businesses when the country's economy was in turmoil. There were fears that Indonesia would spiral into a command economy, but the government purposely avoided this and sold many entities back to the private sector.
Key Economic Indicators:
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Economic Questions:
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A message to the U.N.: The Status of Indonesia’s Education System
Currently, Indonesia’s education system is doing quite well in meeting the three priorities set by the UN Global Education Initiative. These three priorities, put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship, are all primary focuses for the nation of Indonesia as well. Our country’s Ministry of Education set a three-pillared plan back in 2005 that we are proud to say have all been either met or exceeded. Our pillars are to increase access to education, improve education quality, and create better governance of the education sector. (worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia/brief/world-bank-and-education-in-indonesia)
As of 2014, 100% of all Indonesian residents age-eligible for primary/elementary level education are enrolled and attending either public or private educational institutions. (apecsec.org/indonesia-education-statistics/) Bottom line, every child is in school. Our secondary education enrollment numbers, while not where we would like them to be, have increased in recent years as well. Currently, 55% of middle-school aged children (11-13 years old) are attending, what is known in our country as, junior secondary schools. (worldbank.org)
In 2005, we implemented the “teacher law” intending to improve the quality of our nation’s teachers, and after over a decade we can see the positive effects of it. Prior to this program around 65% of all our teachers did not possess a 4-year degree. Now, well over 60% do, and this number is growing higher every year. (worldbank.org/en/results/2014/04/14/ Indonesia-better-education-through-reformed-management-and-universal-teacher-upgrading)
Spending on our teachers and the education system as a whole, has also increased dramatically in the 21st century. Prior to the turn of the century, we were spending around 1% of our GDP on education. Now, over 3.5% of our GDP goes toward education, matching the U.S. education percentage expenditures, showing that we are taking the successes of our children’s futures seriously. (nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66)
Today, more than 210,000 teachers are also constantly attending professional working groups to sharpen their pedagogic talents, creating a more well-rounded and fruitful environment for our children to become positive and successful global citizens. (worldbank.org) Results from these increases can be seen in graphs below showing how Indonesia has surpassed Malaysia and Vietnam in population literacy percentages. All these improvements show how Indonesia is not only following the path laid out from the U.N.’s education plan but thriving from it as well. We still have work to do, but our future is bright.
As of 2014, 100% of all Indonesian residents age-eligible for primary/elementary level education are enrolled and attending either public or private educational institutions. (apecsec.org/indonesia-education-statistics/) Bottom line, every child is in school. Our secondary education enrollment numbers, while not where we would like them to be, have increased in recent years as well. Currently, 55% of middle-school aged children (11-13 years old) are attending, what is known in our country as, junior secondary schools. (worldbank.org)
In 2005, we implemented the “teacher law” intending to improve the quality of our nation’s teachers, and after over a decade we can see the positive effects of it. Prior to this program around 65% of all our teachers did not possess a 4-year degree. Now, well over 60% do, and this number is growing higher every year. (worldbank.org/en/results/2014/04/14/ Indonesia-better-education-through-reformed-management-and-universal-teacher-upgrading)
Spending on our teachers and the education system as a whole, has also increased dramatically in the 21st century. Prior to the turn of the century, we were spending around 1% of our GDP on education. Now, over 3.5% of our GDP goes toward education, matching the U.S. education percentage expenditures, showing that we are taking the successes of our children’s futures seriously. (nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66)
Today, more than 210,000 teachers are also constantly attending professional working groups to sharpen their pedagogic talents, creating a more well-rounded and fruitful environment for our children to become positive and successful global citizens. (worldbank.org) Results from these increases can be seen in graphs below showing how Indonesia has surpassed Malaysia and Vietnam in population literacy percentages. All these improvements show how Indonesia is not only following the path laid out from the U.N.’s education plan but thriving from it as well. We still have work to do, but our future is bright.