Experts reject call to revive ethics lessons<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Officials and experts have rejected a call from
\na number of school teachers that lessons in ethics be
\nreintroduced as a separate subject in Indonesian schools.<\/p>\n
Suheru Mulyo Atmojo, secretary of the education ministry's
\nresearch and development agency, said on Saturday that ethical
\nvalues have already been incorporated in religion and Pancasila
\nmorality subjects.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the government cannot afford to set up a new
\ndivision to deal with the teaching of ethics at teacher training
\ninstitutes, he told a seminar on ethics education.<\/p>\n
Two other speakers, psychologists Zakiah Daradjat and Sarlito
\nWirawan Sarwono, also dismissed the suggestion that ethics be
\nreintroduced as a separate subject in schools. The subject was
\ndropped from the school curriculum in 1975.<\/p>\n
The proposal that the subject be revived was promoted mainly
\nby the teachers present at the seminar. They said the subject's
\nreintroduction was desirable because of the increasing incidence
\nof juvenile delinquency in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The seminar was organized jointly by the Association of
\nIndonesian Book Publishers and the ministry of education and
\nculture.<\/p>\n
Suheru, who was representing Sri Hardjoko Wirjomartono, the
\nhead of the research and development agency, said teachers play a
\nkey role in the upbringing of Indonesian children today.<\/p>\n
Teachers, he said, should play the role of educators who
\nconfer both knowledge and ethical values on their pupils. He said
\nmost teachers tend to transfer knowledge but ignore ethics.<\/p>\n
\"Since ethics ceased to be taught as a separate subject,
\nteachers have tended to play the role of teachers only,\" he said.
\n\"They no longer educate students about values,\" he added<\/p>\n
He said ethics are incorporated not only in the subjects of
\nreligion and Pancasila morality, but also in other subjects,
\nincluding the exact sciences.<\/p>\n
He cited a 1986 study by his agency which found that teachers
\nwere not paying enough attention to their pupils in the field of
\nethics.<\/p>\n
The study found that only a small number of teachers rewarded
\ntheir pupils if they did good deeds, while equally few teachers
\nscolded pupils if the behaved badly, he said.<\/p>\n
Suheru conceded that there are other difficulties in the
\nteaching of ethics at schools.<\/p>\n
One is the increasing interaction of various ethnic groups,
\neach one with different set of ethical values. Another is the
\nincreasing penetration of the country by foreign culture.<\/p>\n
\"But the most important thing to note is that children imitate
\nolder people around them, such as parents, teachers or public
\nfigures,\" he said. \"These people should set good examples, so
\nchildren won't be misled.\"<\/p>\n
Zakiah, a professor at the Jakarta Teachers Training
\nInstitute, also argued against the reintroduction of ethics
\nteaching as a separate subject at school.<\/p>\n
The task of teaching ethics to pupils should be carried out by
\nall teachers, including mathematics teachers, as well as parents
\nand society generally, she said.<\/p>\n
She emphasized the role of religion as important in teaching
\nethics.<\/p>\n
\"Religion has values which can't be changed since they come
\nfrom God,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She added that ethics should be taught even when a child is
\nstill in the womb.<\/p>\n
Sarlito, a professor of the school of psychology at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, said ethical values tend to change
\nrapidly nowadays and that, consequently, the teaching of ethics
\nas a separate subject would have little impact on pupils'
\nbehavior. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/experts-reject-call-to-revive-ethics-lessons-1447893297",
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