Education's Silent Predators: The Fight Against Indonesia's Scholarship Corruption

"Furthermore, to establish an Indonesian State Government that protects all Indonesian people and the entire homeland of Indonesia, to advance public welfare, educate the nation's life, and participate in maintaining world order based on independence, eternal peace, and social justice, the Independence of Indonesia was formed..."

This excerpt from the fourth paragraph of the 1945 Constitution's Preamble reflects how Indonesia's founding fathers made education one of the nation's primary objectives. It became the lifeblood of a new civilization born on October 28, 1928 - the Indonesian nation. Throughout world history, nations have been founded by two groups: military leaders and thinkers. Countries are born from both the sword's tip and the pen's point - through forceful action or resolute thinking.

From the Old Order through the New Order to the Reform Era, education has remained a central focus of Indonesian governance. Every effort has been made to improve educational access for all Indonesians.

During the Old Order (1945-1967), the government established six years of compulsory education to combat illiteracy among people newly freed from Dutch and Japanese colonization. Indonesia even offered overseas scholarships to youth, hoping they would return with knowledge to build the nation, though post-G30S political tensions complicated these aspirations.

The New Order era (1967-1998) focused on school infrastructure. The government built thousands of elementary schools in remote areas through the Presidential Instruction Primary Schools (SD Inpres) program. The six-year compulsory education expanded to nine years. Teacher preparation became rigorous through the establishment of Teacher Education Schools (SPG). Vocational schools were added to produce skilled, work-ready graduates.

Post-Reformation, education began to be viewed through various lenses, including economic. Under President Megawati Soekarnoputri, the School Operational Assistance Fund (BOS) prototype was developed and later enacted under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. SBY's administration extensively developed reformation ideas about education, extending compulsory education to 12 years and introducing aid programs like Bidikmisi for underprivileged students. Under President Joko Widodo, educational assistance through scholarships continued, though under different names, bringing significant changes to Indonesian education.

However, these good intentions became opportunities for corruption. Parents often complain about receiving less scholarship money than allocated. These issues are usually resolved at local education offices without further investigation, making corruption in educational aid an open secret. Parents often remain silent to ensure their children's education continues smoothly.

Illegal fees from certain teachers for overpriced Student Worksheets (LKS) have become normalized, even mandatory for maintaining stable grades. Teachers become merchants selling knowledge under the threat of report card scores.

Scholarships are seen not as Indonesian children's rights but as "chains" binding them and their parents from challenging corrupt officials. By late 2024, Indonesia was shocked by corruption involving a former Bandung University rector, who among other things, illegally cut student scholarships using various illogical reasons.

This corruption nearly forced Bandung University's closure due to lack of operational funds, leaving hundreds or thousands of students uncertain about their academic futures. Why doesn't scholarship corruption attract public protests? Because many view scholarships as state "kindness" rather than Indonesians' right to access education.

Yet clearly, everything related to Indonesian education is the state's primary responsibility, established as a fundamental national objective. Some scholarship recipients hear corrupt university officials say, "You should be grateful for receiving a scholarship, so don't complain." However, scholarships exist because of recipients, not vice versa. This misguided thinking perpetuates educational corruption, particularly in scholarships.

Such people obstruct national goals - using Old Order terminology, they are major enemies of Indonesia's revolutionary journey. They are obstacles that must be removed for Education to reach its destination swiftly.