The Indonesian Ministry of Defense’s plan to conduct national defense education for 10 million people over the next 100 years is an irrational idea and out of context with the nation and state’s need to improve the quality of citizenship. Besides being financially impossible to cover by the State Budget (APBN), the plan also deviates from the constitutional mandate that encourages national defense education to be integrated into every citizen’s education. National defense education is not a ministry project, but an educational strategy within a national education system that produces citizens with character and a spirit of defending the state and nation.
The argumentation of the idea is also absurd because various national problems are actually rooted in an education system that has not been able to create complete citizens. This condition is also triggered by the lack of role models from the political elite who renege on the oath of office they took to defend the nation-state. The ultimate need for national defense is not to gather people to march and blindly obey the military, but to increase the competitive advantage of citizens to be proud to be Indonesian and to defend their nation by becoming high-quality individuals.
The emergence of the national defense idea originating from the defense institution/TNI is a claim as if the TNI is the most nationalistic and patriotic. Whereas during the New Order era, it was precisely the military that became the pillar of dictatorship and the obstacle to democracy. The paradigm that the state knows best and monopolizes the interpretation of nationalism and patriotism is nonsense and flawed. Many citizens bring honor to the country’s name through achievements in many fields. Those who help others in all corners of the Homeland. Those who are active in social activities, including opening up education for indigenous forest people and the underprivileged. All done without state intervention and without national defense training. The national defense model training is actually unnecessary and not needed.
Besides the unreasonable funding issue, the legal basis for national defense is also limited to the Constitution, which still requires detailed elaboration in the form of a Law (UU). Even if forced, national defense education does not need to be managed like the Minister of Defense’s idea. Integration within the curriculum with costs integrated into education can be utilized. Moreover, this plan is rushed without first testing and discussing the materials and methods. Do not let this idea fail to be translated like the four pillars education, character education, which in the end only add to the list of ministry projects.
Contact Person: Bonar Tigor Naipospos, Deputy Chair of Setara Institute: 0811819174