YOGYAKARTA-The government insists that the position of State Universities is parallel to the Private Universities. In addition, the presence of Law 12/2012 on Higher Education will further strengthen the presence of Private Universities that many parties assessed as “discriminated” by the government. This is confirmed by the Secretary of Higher Education Board, Ministry of Education and Culture, Prof. Ir. Nizam, M.Sc., Ph.D, in the socialization of LawNo. 12/2012 on Higher Education at UGM Senate Hall, Thursday (18/11). The event was attended by the University and Faculties leaders and representatives of some private universities in Yogyakarta.
"This dismissed the notion that the government discriminates private universities or just prioritizes State Universities only," Nizam said.
The principle of parallelism between the State and Private universities as mandated by the Higher Education Act, said Nizam, also applies to the budget allocation. Nizam added the presence of the Higher Education Act is not to replace the Law on Legal Education Entity (BHP) which had been canceled by Constitutional Court, but at the same time is expected to be able to address the increasingly complex challenges of education.
"Because there is the spirit of expansion and guarantee access to education for citizens," said Nizam who is also a lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering UGM.
The Higher Education Act also emphasizes the importance of competence and qualifications of college graduates, not merely having a diploma. Meanwhile, the Higher Education Act also seeks to continue to build equality, for example, related to the presence of poly-technical or vocational colleges.
"The polytechnics or vocational graduates were out of favor and appreciated, including from industry. In fact, graduates of polytechnics and undergraduate program are all needed," Nizam explained.
Therefore, in line with more complex challenges of higher education such as the quality of human resources and the expansion and guarantee access to education, the government is committed to expand and make a breakthrough for making Higher Education in Indonesia more excellent and competitive.
On that occasion, Nizam also agreed on the content of the ruling of the Constitutional Court in the cancellation of Legal Education Entity (BHP) Law, namely there will no longer be uniformity of educational institutions, the government should be responsible for financing educational implementations, no longer liberalizing and commercializing education.
Meanwhile, UGM Rector, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc.Sc, said that UGM together with six other state universities (UPI, IPB, USU, Airlangga University, UI, and ITB) are currently preparing a draft statute related to the Higher Education Act. This Statute, according to Pratikno, is significant because it serves as the foundation in formulating university policy.
"UGM with six other state universities are currently reviewing the Statute Draft," Pratikno said.