(Before) AI in Indonesian Education: Reality Check & Holistic Vision

As promised, now we’re talking about AI in Education (and later — a promise again, duh — AI Education).

BUT! Before we go deep into the talk of AI and its potential, let’s take a hard look at where we stand:

• In the 2021 Annual Best Countries Report, Indonesia ranked 54th in education. Not exactly a gold star performance, is it?
• On the Human Development Index, we’re lounging at 111th out of 189 countries as of 2019. That’s… not great.
• Our education system is heavily Java-centric, creating stark differences in outcomes across the archipelago.
• Remember when we were 50th in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) back in 2006? Well, we’ve slipped to 71st in 2018. Talk about a downgrade.

The PISA 2022 report which I haven’t read in depth. The “good” side is that the downward trends are not a local phenomenon. The effects of COVID-19 era, maybe?

I know these data might be oversimplifying the more-nuanced realities on the ground. But data is still data. It tells. Data might contains bias and statistical limitation, but data doesn’t lie.

But before we jump straight into a solution, let’s take a step back to see a bigger picture. Don’t get me started on questioning what “education” actually translates to in the truest sense using philosophical arguments, which definitely could make me keep yapping a whole night. Let’s just take a look at our own UU No. 20 Tahun 2003 pasal 1 ayat 1, which says,

“Pendidikan adalah usaha sadar dan terencana untuk mewujudkan suasana belajar dan proses pembelajaran agar peserta didik secara aktif mengembangkan potensi dirinya untuk memiliki kekuatan spiritual keagamaan, pengendalian diri, kepribadian, kecerdasan, akhlak mulia, serta keterampilan yang diperlukan dirinya, masyarakat, bangsa dan negara.”

(Education is a conscious and planned effort to create a learning atmosphere and learning process so that students actively develop their potential to have religious spiritual strength, self-control, personality, intelligence, noble character, and skills needed by themselves, society, nation and state.)

This holistic definition goes far beyond test scores and basic skills. It encompasses spiritual strength, self-control, personality development, and societal contribution. How do we measure these aspects? How do we ensure our education system is truly fulfilling this mandate? This is a hard problem, one that becomes even more complex when we consider introducing AI into the mix.

With this broader understanding of education in mind, let’s consider the implications of our current challenges:

• The lack of basic skills competence isn’t just about test scores. It translates to a workforce that’s ill-prepared for the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy. In an age where AI and automation are reshaping industries, how can we ensure our youth are equipped to compete and innovate?
• The Java-centric nature of our education system isn’t just a geographical issue. It’s a perpetuation of economic and social disparities that could widen the gap between urban and rural areas. How can we leverage technology to provide quality education to every corner of our archipelago?
• The low Human Development Index highlights a crucial point often overlooked in education discussions — the basic well-being of our students. A child who’s hungry can’t learn effectively, no matter how good the teacher or how advanced the technology. How do we address these fundamental needs alongside educational improvements?
• Given our comprehensive definition of education, how do we ensure that our focus on improving test scores and basic skills doesn’t come at the expense of developing “kekuatan spiritual keagamaan, pengendalian diri, kepribadian, … akhlak mulia” (religious spiritual strength, self-control, personality, … noble character)? Can AI contribute to these aspects of education, or is this where human interaction becomes irreplaceable?

Given these challenges, it’s tempting to look at AI as a silver bullet. After all, AI promises personalized learning, 24/7 tutoring, and the ability to reach remote areas through online platforms. But can AI really address these deep-rooted issues? Or do we risk exacerbating existing inequalities if we rush to implement AI solutions without addressing fundamental problems? Moreover, how do we ensure that AI aligns with our holistic vision of education, rather than reducing learning to mere information transfer?

As we explore the potential of AI in education, we need to keep these realities and our comprehensive educational goals in mind. AI isn’t a magic wand that will solve all our educational woes overnight. However, if implemented thoughtfully and equitably, it could be a powerful tool in our education reform toolkit — but only if we’re clear about what we’re truly trying to achieve with education in the first place.

In the next post, we’ll cover some of the promises and perils of AI in education, examining how it might address some of these challenges — and what new issues it might create.

Let’s approach this with both optimism and a critical eye, always keeping in mind the ultimate goal: providing quality, holistic education to every Indonesian student, regardless of their background or location.

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References

On rankings:

US News. (2022). The best countries for education. US News. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/best-countries-for-education

Pramana, C., Chamidah, D., Suyatno, S., Renadi, F., & Syaharuddin, S. (2021). Strategies to improve education quality in Indonesia: A review. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 12(3), 1977–1994. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=160413595&site=ehost-live

OECD (2023), PISA 2022 Results (Volume I): The State of Learning and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en.

On Java-centric-ness:

Sato, T., Nahan, I., Anggara, R., & Sebastian, J. (2022). Unleashing a digital transformation for equitable, high-quality education. A.T. Kearney, Inc. https://www.kearney.com/industry/public-sector/article/-/insights/unleashing-a-digital-transformation-for-equitable-high-quality-education

On Jakarta-Papua population comparison:

Sutarsih, T., Wulandari, V. C., Untari, R., Kusumatrisna, A. L., & Hasyyati, A. N. (2021). Telecommunication statistics in Indonesia 2021. BPS-Statistics Indonesia. https://www.bps.go.id/en/publication/2023/08/31/131385d0253c6aae7c7a59fa/telecommunication-statistics-in-indonesia-2022.html

On the rulings of the Indonesian national education system:

https://jdih.kemdikbud.go.id/sjdih/siperpu/dokumen/salinan/UU_tahun2003_nomor020.pdf