Problem-solving ability here still poor<\/p>\n
Simon Marcus Gower, Principal, Harapan Bangsa High School,
\nBanten, Tangerang<\/p>\n
An Indonesian living and studying in California, U.S. recently
\nsent an email to a friend in Jakarta. He expressed his sorrow
\nabout the news that he was hearing about Indonesia. His list of
\ncomplaints was familiar and quite long.<\/p>\n
It was easy, however, to see how some of his complaints had
\nobviously been unrealistically added to by the sources of his
\nnews. Western media tends to dramatize and can make a minor,
\nisolated event seem like the collapse of a government or economy.<\/p>\n
The picture painted of Indonesia in Western media is often a
\nbleak and desperate one. There can be no denying that Indonesia
\nhas suffered from some bleak experiences which have led people to
\ntake desperate measures.<\/p>\n
The ease with which many in Indonesia have resorted to
\nviolence shows a weakness of mind and of willpower to solve a
\nproblem with peacefulness, thoughtfulness and equanimity. Too
\nmany have fallen into the trap of being willing to do anything to
\napparently get them through their problems; without so much as a
\nsecond thought or regard for others. Many have been willfully
\ncontent to tread on the backs of others and violate their rights.<\/p>\n
With greater humanity, greater willpower and greater
\neducation, acts of desperation will always be sidelined. And this
\nis perhaps the greatest misfortune and sorrow to have been
\nvisited on Indonesia. The lack of willpower to find a humane
\nsolution to problems has left a fertile seedbed for acts of
\ninhumanity. The lack of educated minds that are able to think
\nahead and consider consequences has left Indonesians to be
\nvictims of Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Education can and should help to provide a better future for
\nIndonesia by giving students powers of thought -- thought that
\nallows people to plan and really consider what may or will arise
\nas a consequence of their actions. In desperate times disputes
\nare always more likely to occur. People become more sensitive,
\nmore reactionary and more vulnerable to the mood swings and
\nvagaries of being more emotionally charged up. But the educated
\nmind is better able to keep emotions in check and reduce the
\ndangers of reactionary behavior.<\/p>\n
Schools and education systems have to be fundamental tools in
\nremedying these kinds of problems and so it becomes essential
\nthat schools and educators maintain policies and procedures that
\npromote peacefulness, in particular peaceful dispute resolution.<\/p>\n
Sadly, though, disputes and arguments in Indonesian schools
\nare not used sufficiently as potential sources of lessons and
\nlearning. Sadly, too often the desire to punish, or to even take
\npleasure in punishing, is allowed to cloud or just wash away the
\npotential to learn and gain understanding. Take the example of
\ntwo high school students caught fighting in their school. What
\nremedy was applied to their dispute? The teacher merely chose to
\nuse a classroom ruler for a violent purpose on both boys.<\/p>\n
Another teacher\/ student encounter reflects weak willed
\nthinking on how to deal with "difficult" students. One student
\nhad been disruptive in class and his teacher's patience ran out
\nand he decided it was time to act, time to punish.<\/p>\n
But the student was told to choose between extra homework or a
\nviolent blow from the teacher. The student, being disruptive and
\nlazy chose the latter. The student learnt nothing from this as he
\nmerely continued to be disruptive.<\/p>\n
Equally signifying failure was the teacher's observations
\nabout this punishment, because he said it made him feel better
\npersonally -- "It felt good and I felt satisfied that I had
\nreally hit him" -- being his comment. This kind of attitude and
\nemotional involvement in punishment is misplaced. It offers no
\nopportunity for learning and can only be a short term remedy.<\/p>\n
Indonesia needs to access more long term remedies. Schools and
\nteachers need to be equipping their students with the thinking
\nskills that will allow them to become problem solvers. Those
\nthinking skills need to be informed by a sense of responsibility
\nand humanity towards others.<\/p>\n
Future generations are, after all, emerging from Indonesian
\nschools and so if we hope to arrive at a time when Western
\nreporters will only be able to report good news about Indonesia,
\nit is essential that educators work hard to create a learning
\nenvironment and habit within school students to be more
\nconsiderate of others. Thinking skills, the ability to plan and
\norganize and a real sense of belonging and humanity will be
\ncrucial. Teaching humanitarianism in schools now creates the
\npossibility of a brighter future.<\/p>",
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