“The Contradicting Idea upon the Inequality of Online Education System during

the Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia towards the Value of Pancasila”

Every single country around the world is actually having their main principal
value to organize the system upon their country. It means that every single policy in a
country should be reflecting the main value of its main principle. In Indonesia we’re
having the idea of Pancasila as the main principle in order to create and organize the
system in our country. It means, the system that organize the life of the society should
not be contradicting with the value of Pancasila itself. The last sentence of Pancasila is
clearly contained about the value of “equality”. But unfortunately, the current system
and the policy through the reality of education system in Indonesia during this Covid-
19 pandemic situation could not even represent the value of its last sentence of
Pancasila. Then what kind of correlation between both of these things? There are many
of reckless agenda by the government that create the inequality towards some of the
Indonesian’s students who has been stuck in the inaccessibility to gain the education
during this pandemic situation, most importantly towards the vulnerable students who
lives under the poverty. Then why is it important for the education system to having the
idea of equality and equitability? The answer is that both of those things can helps the
students to develop their ability and knowledge even when they didn’t have the
accessibility and capability to pursuing their dreams, so at the end they can become the
productive member of the society that technically would lead to better economic and
social outcomes in a country.

The Indonesian’s Minister of Education is actually creating the new policy that
named by “Belajar dari Rumah” in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in school.
The government said that it has to be occur due to high cases of that virus in Indonesia,
and also students is actually one of the most vulnerable people that can easily get
affected by its virus simply because their immunity system isn’t always good as an
adult. Indonesian’s prime minister of education also said that the policy of “Belajar
dari Rumah” is actually giving the freedom towards the schools to create their own
online education system based on the easiest access that can be reach by the student
and the teacher in that school. The government also claimed that they will giving the
easiest access upon the school operational funding. In the former agenda, the schools
could not directly get that kind of operational funding from the minister, but they have
to get it from their own regional or local government. It is tangibly giving some of
difficulty for the school itself to fulfill the urgent necessity that could not be expected.
Due to some of difficulty that happens during the pandemic situation, the minister of
education changing the regulation of its funding, the new regulation is that the schools
can directly get that funding by the minister of education without have to stuck for too
long in a difficult regulation that has created by the local government.
The Indonesian’s Minister of Finance also take a part to support the success of
Online Education during this pandemic by giving the funding to support the subsidy of
internet quota in order to make it free for all over the students in Indonesia. The total
amount of that funding is about 6,6 Billion Rupiah and possibly could even be more
depends on the next situation. The government also giving the “Wage Subsidy
Assistance” that is given to educators and the other education staff with non-PNS
status, including the lecturers, library staff, laboratory staff, and administrative staff of
public and private schools or university, in the purpose to helping them through the
harsh economic situation during this pandemic.
Basically, the parameter of success upon the system and policy in a country is not
depends on how much money, or even the efforts by the government towards their
citizen, but it’s basically depends on how that system can create the accessibility
toward all over the citizen in that country. It’s totally useless if some of the regulation
system by the government only can giving an easier access towards the student and the
teacher who lives in the capital city. If we’re looking closer, there are many of students
who lives in the isolated area are getting more difficulties due to the policy of online
education itself.
There are some of evidence on how the online education policy in Indonesia
tangibly create the inaccessibility and inequality towards the student who lives under
the poverty and the students who lives in the isolated area:
1. Online education system is basically only giving an easier access for those who
already have the capability to supporting their education. But instead, it is
unfortunately giving such a nightmare for those who is not having the capability
since the very beginning.
As a comparison, we can take a look on how the student who lives in a good
economic family is likely more enjoying the online education system because they
can be more chill by doing their study at home, and also they didn’t have to wake
up earlier to prepare any single stuff before go to school as usual. But how about
the unlucky students who lives under the poverty? Due to this pandemic situation,
many of their parents have to losing their job while at the same time they also need
more money to fulfill their daily needs. Based on this reason, many of students
choose the option to help their parents in order to fix their economic The reality of
this pandemic situation have killed their desire to getting the education, it because
some of the students has perceived that prioritizing education upon the family
difficult situation is genuinely represent the act of selfishness. That stigma could be
existed because as a human, we’re naturally have a desire to choose the option to
fulfill our prime necessity upon the secondary necessity.

In December 2020, UNICEF found that almost 1000 children in Indonesia had
dropped out of school during this pandemic. The high amount of this cases is
dominated by the reason of economic condition, and the worst fact is that many of
students who lives in an uneducated and unstable economic family has decided to
get married because they did not t have any motivation anymore to continuing their
school. There is nothing that need to be hesitate on why many of students choosing
the option to get married instead of continuing their education. As an educated
person, we’re certainly will think that it’s better if they’re keep on continuing their
education so that they can fix their family condition in the future. But we have to
understand that many of students who coming from the uneducated and unstable
economic family has been told by their parents that education is not that important,
especially for a woman. They have perceived that woman did not have to pursuing
the high education simply because at the end of their life, woman only have to stay
at home in the purpose to taking care of their family.

So why this kind of education problem still could be happened while in fact, the
government have given the funding to support the education itself? It’s basically
happened due to the chaos system of its regulation that operated by the
irresponsible person who corrupting the education funding in order to increasing
their wealth and position. And as an aftermath, the innocent children who basically
 have a right of education could not get a chance to pursuing their dreams due to the
act of dishonesty that occurred upon the internal system of the government.

Another fact is that many of the students who lives in the poverty are not
acknowledging the way to access and using the online education system during this
pandemic. Until nowadays, still there is some of the students who is not getting the
digital access such as smartphone and laptop to supporting their online education.
So the question is that who is the main actor that should be blamed upon this
reality? Back then, the main actor that should be blamed in this situation is the
government. This sad reality tells us on how the government is genuinely fail to
protect their most vulnerable citizen and giving the equality towards all over the
citizen based on the value of the last Pancasila.

Indonesian students with their parents choose thoroughly regarding which schools they
want to attend due to the school's reputation. The Ministry of Education and Culture
claims that the new zoning system has the means to increase and equalize education
access and quality.1 Through this notion, participants are encouraged to give their
views on the admission policy for new students with a zoning system based on their
age. Participants are also encouraged to find crucial problems regarding the ever-
changing PPDB policy.

1 Gunarti Ika Pradewi and Rukiyati, “Kebijakan

Sistem Zonasi dalam Perspektif Pendidikan”, Jurnal
Managemen dan Supervisi Pendidikan Volume 4 Nomor 1
(November 2019), page. 28.