Writen By: Abdullah Yazid 

Jakarta (Kompas: 17/07/06) It is interesting to study the National Education Ministry’s plan to launch education TV starting from July 17. The program, held in collaboration with the TVRI,  will air three subjects tested in the national examination  every Monday-Thursday at 07.pm to 09.30 pm. The program is targeting 3rd graders in 28,376 state-run and private junior high schools in 353 regencies/municipalities having limited facilities and have not achieved a certain standard. Our question is, how effective is the program that absorb up to Rp 213.69 billion?

Considering its timing, there is a perception that the National Education Ministry is trying to divert the public attention from the controversy related to the national examination and criticism against the government in its implementation.

The indication is quite strong because the subject included in the Education TV programs are those tested in the national examination. It seems that the National Education Ministry is trying to justify the national examination by offering this program as solution over the high failure rate in the past few years.

It is also worth noticing the criticism related to the huge budget. The biggest post of the Rp 213.69 billion budget goes for the procurement 75,000 TV sets. Each school will get 2 TV sets.

The main problem is the National Education Ministry’s lack of sensitivity in setting out priorities concerning the need in education. Many believe that the funds should be spent for primary needs, such as school renovation, scholarships for students from under-privileged families or for students in disaster-stricken areas, or improving teachers’ welfare and competency.

TV Effectiveness
It is true that television is one among the most effective media to convey a message to the public. Almost all families from all society class in the country possess TV set that also serves as a mean of information and entertainment. Maybe, based on this assumption, National Education Ministry wants to make use of television for mass education process.

The writer also acknowledged that this media has many advantages. For instance, TV programs can be perceived by many human senses simultaneously. Second, TV program can reach a large target at the same time. Third, TV program could be presented in the form of entertainment, to make it more attractive. Fourth, there are many varieties of TV programs to be chosen, among others: exposé, reportage, dialog, interview, discussion, reports or entertainment.

However, so far there are no study has been carried out concerning the most ideal format of education programs in television. Previously, the Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia’s (TPI) orientation was similar to that of the National Education Ministry, but it was proven to be ineffective; far from satisfying. Its education program is far from being called interesting and their ratings are far below entertainment programs or TV soaps.

Therefore, the National Education Ministry should really pay attention to this, even though The program will be viewed in the classrooms. Exposés in television are usually quite boring, moreover if the host is not very interesting and convincing.

No Interaction
One of the main issues that might escape from attention is the lacking of teachers-students dialogue in TV program. Of course television set could not replace teacher because it is monologists. If a student does not pay attention for a while, he or she might be miss what have been taught, while the television can repeat explanation like teachers do. Therefore the effectiveness of will depend on students.

Of course teachers can help by giving explanation. But what if the teachers are incompetent? Does it mean that the teaching and learning process will become even messier? However, the dialog in teaching-learning process serves to set out the problems facing students. Dialogs usually take place because students are seeking for further explanation.

In this program, will students and—even teachers who have a certain knowledge and understanding on a certain subject—would be able to concentrate and at the same time to remain critical and trying to find the best solution over the problems? It seems that the National Education Ministry has not anticipated this role and function of television and teachers’ in this case.

For teachers, there are still a lot to be scrutinized and to be improved. Students are not interested to monotonous teaching method. Moreover, many teachers have neglected their obligation. They are no longer using the approaches that teachers should do. For instance, many teachers are too lazy to read. There is almost no renewal in their knowledge. Reading is the most hated work, boring and time consuming. We have entrusted one step of our children to such kind of teachers.

Such kind of teachers had made the school become farther from books and reading tradition. Consequently, students become imbalanced learners. They only know that learning is receiving information in the classrooms, in certain hours from a certain teacher. Teachers’ role is getting more important, especially as a source of information and truth.

The National Education Ministry is expected to be cautious and to listen to the entire advice and opinions of education experts concerning the TV education program. The evaluation that would be conducted every three months should be able to evaluate the effectiveness of each aspects, and the envisaged follow up; for instance, whether the education TV program would be able to nurture students’ interests, motivation, and learning ethos or not.

Moreover, we doubt if such a learning method could encourage intensive dialogue between students and teacher. Is the program needs other supporting materials, like text books - so there will be another ‘project of book provision? Is it possible for students to be involved in the broadcast, and so on. Therefore, we should bear in mind that education is not only about teaching, but it also an act of humanizing. Can education TV educate students?

By: Abdullah Yazid
Researchers at the Faculty of Teaching and Education at Malang Islamic University, working Averroes Foundation in Malang

 http://www.sampoernafoundation.org/content/view/407/103/lang,en/