Hardiknas Reflection : Developing the Access and Quality of Education

To commemorate Hari Pendidikan Nasional (Hardiknas) which held on 2^nd May 2018, we should not only make a celebration for it, but we also have to take a commitment to contribute maximally, to eradicate backwardness, the gap, and the lack of education.

We face the educational gap between the qualities of the educational level in Java and in Papua. For International standard, we still have to work hard to develop our educational quality. Even for the national standard, there are still a lot of children who don’t have any access to get any education, even for the simplest one.

To face this reality, Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan (YPPH), through Universitas Pelita Harapan is called to participate in solving this big challenge which our nations deal with. There is only a question; what kind of education that we can contribute to our nation’s development? With the vision ? True Knowledge, Faith in Christ, and Godly Character, we have a commitment to creating a holistic and transformative education. Through that kind of education, we also hope that the children of our country will have the competence, good character, with a strong spiritual life so they are ready to face various challenges, become innovative and creative, and deliver our country to be equal with other progressive countries.

UPH Teachers college program that has an international standard has been sending the teachers to a lot of schools under YPPH (Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Sekolah Dian Harapan, and Sekolah Lentera Harapan) which already have 130 units all around Indonesia, even until at the mountains region in Papua, Rote, Sangir, Ambon, Toraja, Nias, and many more.  UPH also takes a part in developing the education to become wider. This is the real contribution to developing the access and educational qualities in Indonesia.

UPH alumni, with the total of 30.000 people, have been taking a lot of roles in the various field of devotion in archipelago even until overseas. We all have been called to keep developing the access and the quality of education including in the isolated regions.

It should be with the will and a commitment when commemorating HARDIKNAS. To bring the internationally educational system that can be accessed by all of the children from our country, to actualize the dreams of our nation, a justice society, prosperous and safe, and also civilized in NKRI that safe and peaceful.

by: Dr. (Hon) Jonathan L. Parapak, M.Eng.Sc., Rektor UPH