The Role of Students in Improving the Quality of Education

Education plays an important role in efforts to improve a person's quality; without education, humans would struggle to develop and would certainly become a backward group. Education is a process of learning, knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people that is passed from one generation to the next through teaching and training. According to the 1945 Constitution, Article 31 paragraph 1, it explains that: “Every citizen has the right to receive an education”. Therefore, good implementation of education is absolutely necessary so that a generation of intelligent and high-quality successors can be realised. Without education there would be no progress in any aspect of life.

            Education now and in the future is required to prioritise improving the quality of intellectual and professional abilities as well as a personality with sound norms. In this way, Indonesian students can play a dignified role in the world of education. This is especially so given the low quality of education in Indonesia, caused by poor education management, expensive education costs, gaps in educational facilities and infrastructure, and the low quality of teaching human resources in Indonesia. Seeing these conditions, students can be utilised as a means of improving quality education, and efforts must also be made to improve the quality of and access to education in Indonesia.

            University students are one of the important elements in the development of society and the nation. They have important roles and functions in bringing about positive change and progress in various fields. As the core of the younger generation, students have strengths in scientific thinking, in addition to their youthful spirit, critical nature and mature logic. Students are the main driving force of change. In general, there are five main roles of students: first, Direct of Chage , meaning that students can bring about forms of change directly, because there are many sufficient human resources.

            Second, Agent of Chage, meaning that students are able to become agents of change and become human resources who are able to bring about change. Third, Iron Stock , meaning that students are a human resource that never runs out. Fourth, Moral of Force , meaning that students are able to have good morals, because basically students have high education, knowledge and learning. Fifth, Social Control , meaning that students are expected to be controllers in social life in society. Moreover, here students are able to bring about higher-quality education in Indonesia.

            Students have an important role in improving the quality of education; they can contribute by becoming volunteer teachers in various regions of Indonesia that have less access to education, or by becoming private tutors around where they live. In this role, students can improve access to and the quality of education for the community and surrounding environment. The following are some of the roles of students in the world of education. First, students become facilitators in learning: students can help improve education by becoming tutors or mentors for students at schools and in higher education. In this role, students can help students with their learning, guide students in understanding the subject matter, and motivate students to be more enthusiastic about learning.

            Second, students become volunteer teachers. In this role, students can help improve access to and the quality of education for disadvantaged communities, especially people who cannot afford it because education costs are too high, so in this case students can help by becoming volunteer teachers. Third, students become curriculum developers: students can participate in curriculum development in schools or in higher education. In this role, students can help develop learning programmes that are innovative and relevant to the needs of society. Moreover, because students have a fresh outlook and creative thinking, they are able to create new innovations and solutions to the various problems faced by society. Therefore, the role of students in developing the curriculum is very much needed.

            Fourth, students can develop social programmes: students can use their role as developers of social programmes related to the world of education, such as scholarship programmes, and can also act as mentors for students who are economically disadvantaged. Fifth, students become researchers: students can act as researchers in the field of education by helping to identify problems and solutions in the world of education. In this way, students already play a significant role in providing better policy recommendations.

            Those are some of the roles of students in the world of education. Students must have good academic and non-academic abilities, and be able to communicate well with the community and surrounding environment. Besides being learners, students are expected to develop academic, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Fulfilling these roles of students in education will greatly help improve the quality of education for the people of Indonesia. Let us, Indonesian students, commit together to improving the quality of education in Indonesia so that we can achieve the vision of a more advanced and prosperous nation.