Nobel Prize winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz, defines globalization as “the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world ...brought about by... the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and people across borders." Thomas Friedman in his book, The World is Flat further emphasizes that the world is now a level playing field.

What does this mean in the education field? It simply means that countries which do not produce world-class graduates will fall behind in this flat competitive ground- because in a flat world, all competitors have equal opportunities. Those who fail to leverage on these opportunities will fall behind. More specifically, educational researchers have propounded that countries which fail to develop “international education”, will be negatively affected in terms of economical, political, and social issues in a mutually bounded world.

This calls for an urgent check on how “international” education standards are in Indonesia; and how teachers can better prepare Indonesian graduates to be more globally competitive.

Local graduates from every level are still a far cry from being competitive globally; even within Indonesia. Recent report has shown that as many as 4.5milliion educated graduates are “fully unemployed” . These are diploma or degree holders, and high school graduates who graduated from local institutions. Analysts attribute this national problem to low teaching and learning quality in Indonesia. This is not surprising, as among the 2.7 million teachers in the country, only 300,000 are certified teachers . Teachers in Indonesia have long been plagued by various problems including insufficient training, low education qualifications, meager salary and inadequate support and facilities. The government, realizing this issue, has declared to increase its teachers’ salary budget by Rp50 trillion in 2009; resulting in almost 100% increment in salary for some. However, monetary compensation alone is insufficient in raising the country’s teaching quality to match international standards.

Essential skills needed in Indonesia’s job market and the global economy are critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, big picture thinking, communication skills and an attitude for lifelong learning.
Educational researchers such as Bates (2002) and Martimore (2001) proposed several ways how teachers can prepare themselves and their students to face globalization. They found that active and project-based learning is vital in developing critical and independent thinkers with problem-solving skills. In advanced countries, these methods are rapidly replacing the traditional teacher-centric based education where only one-way communication takes place. Variety in teaching methods and techniques are increasing, and is coming to foreground in curriculums. For example, the use of computers and the ability to seek for information on the internet is indispensable in this information world. With the internet, the same information can now be accessed by a teacher New York or a teacher in Papua.

Teachers should use the internet to research, update their teaching materials, and find better teaching methods used by more advanced institutions worldwide. In this way, teachers do not need to only depend on the formal training from the state, but to be able to improve and upgrade themselves autonomously. Students must also be taught to seek knowledge independently and have an attitude for lifelong learning, whether through the internet or good old reliable sources like books, magazines and newspapers. Continuous learning is important because change is the only permanent force in a globalized world. Those who fail to keep up with the latest changes will only fall behind and be left out.

Indonesian teachers must soon realize that whether they like it or not, they are being judged by international standards and being compared to teachers from all over the world – by governments, multinational companies, investors, parents and students. If teachers in Indonesia fall short of world-class standards, multinational companies will choose to setup their offices elsewhere due to the lack of a competent workforce; investors will be doubtful of the nation’s future leaders; discerning parents and talented students will choose to study in foreign countries, potentially resulting in a phenomenon known as ‘brain drain’ in Indonesia. As Indonesia celebrate its National Teachers Day, the following quotation by Henry Brooks is recalled “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops”. In a globalized world, a teacher’s influence in Indonesia is almost immeasurable and infinite in defining the nation’s success.

Recognizing this fact, the Sampoerna Foundation Teacher Institute (SF TI) will be organizing the Indonesian Teachers Congress (Kongress Guru Indonesia: KGI) on November 27-28, 2008. This two-day congress focusing on international teaching quality for Indonesian teachers bears an appropriate theme - “Think Global, Act Local”. The congress will serve to enlighten 1,000 teachers across Indonesia on how they can upgrade their expertise and to boost their desire for continuous improvement and lifelong learning. SF TI’s Director, Kenneth Cock hopes that the KGI will inspire and motivate teachers in Indonesia to improve the quality of their work. “We really hope that through the improvement of the skills and professionalism of teachers in Indonesia, they will have the ability to compete globally without losing their identities as Indonesian teachers,” Ken added.

Hopefully, one day, Indonesians teachers and graduates will be a force to be reckoned with – in the globalized world.