Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Free online materials are not the answer for students seeking more affordable schoolbooks. In fact, it could cause trouble in the future, publishers said recently.
The Indonesian Publishers Association (Ikapi) said a government plan to provide online textbooks would not reduce the cost of books for students.
Dion P. Sihotang, who heads Ikapi's research and development division, said while publishers could trim book prices by using cheaper paper, other people would end up paying more by downloading and printing learning materials themselves, due to the cost of Internet access and binding services, as well as fewer paper choices.
He said the effort to get textbooks ready to use would take extra time and energy.
"You'll have to spend time on downloading those materials, chapter by chapter, perhaps over a slow Internet connection. And you'll have to do this several times to get all of your books printed," Dion told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Not only will people have to spend time printing the materials, he said, but also with having them bound.
"At the end, everyone will get fussed," he said.
Caroline Morgan of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organization in Australia said the online textbook program could hurt the way students look at books, too.
"How can students respect books when they're just printing each page as they need it?" she told the press in a discussion with Ikapi here.
The government is carrying out the "book reform program", which includes buying copyrights to standardized textbooks used from grade school to senior high levels. The program sees materials being available online for free in August.
Sugiyanto, head of the Education Ministry's book division, said earlier the program was supposed to make school textbooks more affordable.
But Dion showed how the program could prove an extra burden on students, teachers and parents needing textbooks.
"How many students or teachers are Internet-literate? How many of them even own computers and have an Internet connection, especially those who live in remote areas?
"How many people across the country have access to photocopy machines? People may have the money, but without the access the program will be useless."
He said the 100 or so Ikapi textbook publishers would agree to support the government's cheaper schoolbook initiative, but not necessarily the strategies that came with it.
"If the government is saying that unfair practices are behind the higher cost of books, then let's work together to get things back on track."
Dion disagreed with the notion -- which he attributed to the government -- that publishers merely printed books and that printing was inexpensive.
In fact, he said, publishers also spend money on pre-production and distribution.
"We have to pay for copyrights, writers, editors, layout and many other things. We do more than just printing," Dion said, adding that making textbooks free online would hurt the publishing industry and put hundreds of people out of work.
"It will kill writers' creativity as only those who meet the government's criteria will get published," he said.
Dion responded to the criticism that publishers may revise the same textbook every semester, forcing students to buy the new version, blaming the problem on the bureaucracy.
"We have to do that because the government constantly revises the education curriculum."
Free online materials are not the answer for students seeking more affordable schoolbooks. In fact, it could cause trouble in the future, publishers said recently.
The Indonesian Publishers Association (Ikapi) said a government plan to provide online textbooks would not reduce the cost of books for students.
Dion P. Sihotang, who heads Ikapi's research and development division, said while publishers could trim book prices by using cheaper paper, other people would end up paying more by downloading and printing learning materials themselves, due to the cost of Internet access and binding services, as well as fewer paper choices.
He said the effort to get textbooks ready to use would take extra time and energy.
"You'll have to spend time on downloading those materials, chapter by chapter, perhaps over a slow Internet connection. And you'll have to do this several times to get all of your books printed," Dion told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Not only will people have to spend time printing the materials, he said, but also with having them bound.
"At the end, everyone will get fussed," he said.
Caroline Morgan of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organization in Australia said the online textbook program could hurt the way students look at books, too.
"How can students respect books when they're just printing each page as they need it?" she told the press in a discussion with Ikapi here.
The government is carrying out the "book reform program", which includes buying copyrights to standardized textbooks used from grade school to senior high levels. The program sees materials being available online for free in August.
Sugiyanto, head of the Education Ministry's book division, said earlier the program was supposed to make school textbooks more affordable.
But Dion showed how the program could prove an extra burden on students, teachers and parents needing textbooks.
"How many students or teachers are Internet-literate? How many of them even own computers and have an Internet connection, especially those who live in remote areas?
"How many people across the country have access to photocopy machines? People may have the money, but without the access the program will be useless."
He said the 100 or so Ikapi textbook publishers would agree to support the government's cheaper schoolbook initiative, but not necessarily the strategies that came with it.
"If the government is saying that unfair practices are behind the higher cost of books, then let's work together to get things back on track."
Dion disagreed with the notion -- which he attributed to the government -- that publishers merely printed books and that printing was inexpensive.
In fact, he said, publishers also spend money on pre-production and distribution.
"We have to pay for copyrights, writers, editors, layout and many other things. We do more than just printing," Dion said, adding that making textbooks free online would hurt the publishing industry and put hundreds of people out of work.
"It will kill writers' creativity as only those who meet the government's criteria will get published," he said.
Dion responded to the criticism that publishers may revise the same textbook every semester, forcing students to buy the new version, blaming the problem on the bureaucracy.
"We have to do that because the government constantly revises the education curriculum."