Unity in diversity: Teachers and students must embrace difference<\/p>\n
Simon Marcus Gower, Executive Principal High\/Scope, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has a well known and admirable motto "unity in
\ndiversity". Even the most casual of observers of the great
\narchipelago could not possibly but agree that this nation has a
\nremarkable and undeniable diversity, but questions over the
\ndegree of unity to be found amongst these islands inevitably
\nremain. Recent history has not been kind to the idea of unity in
\nIndonesia. With greater democracy, unity seems to have been
\ncoming under increasing pressure.<\/p>\n
This is, however, a pattern that has been repeated all over
\nthe world. As the Communist bloc disintegrated a whole host of
\nnew nations were born. It seemed as though, as freedoms increased
\nsegregation and separation also increased. The horrors visited on
\nthe nations born out of the collapse of the former Yugoslavia
\nwere probably the worst manifestation of this process. And we
\nhave seen similar woes visited upon parts of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It is reasonable to ponder why growing freedom should
\npotentially be the source of growing separation and even
\ndiscrimination. It has perhaps been too easy for people to
\nmisinterpret democracy; to overextended democracy's principles to
\nthe point of jeopardizing the very notion of freedom and in turn
\ndestroying the very source of that freedom which is or at least
\nshould be democracy.<\/p>\n
But why has it been possible to misinterpret democracy? Why
\nhave people not been able to see and value the notion of
\ndemocracy bringing people together rather than separating them?
\nThere is sadly the potential to see "difference" as not being
\nsomething that should be respected, honored and appreciated,
\nsomething that should be valued and prized as one of the wonders
\nof our world; but instead seeing difference as a divider and a
\nsource of hatred.<\/p>\n
Regrettably, there are examples of this in daily life, and
\nmost regrettably of all examples of this is in the daily life and
\nlives of schools in Indonesia. Take the students in street
\nfights. Anarchy is literally let loose on the streets as school
\nkids clash for no reason other than they attend a different
\nschool. In short, a difference, which is hardly perceptible and
\nwhich is surely of little or no significance, is being used and
\nseen as justification for violent acts of aggression and the
\nstimulus for hatred.<\/p>\n
The short fuse that burns and leads to the explosion of
\nviolence is clearly born out of an ignorance and lack of
\nappreciation for others. Ignorance and an accompanying lack of
\nforethought and care for other human beings is liable to create
\nand nurture a culture of mutual distrust and even hatred.<\/p>\n
Sadly, schools can consistently be observed that are not
\nengaged in encouraging tolerance, acceptance and appreciation of
\ndifference. Whether it is racial, religious, political, cultural;
\ndifference is not being respected and seen as the great source of
\nlearning and indeed love of life that it should be.<\/p>\n
School students can consistently be observed entering into
\nconduct and behavior which is disrespectful and offensive towards
\ndifference. For example, in one classroom one child was
\nparticularly excluded from the other children's activities
\nbecause "he's ugly ... his skin is so black," one child said,
\nwith little or no realization that she was saying something
\noffensive.<\/p>\n
Immediately, in a situation such as this, the children have a
\ngreat opportunity to learn and understand and not behave in a
\nracially offensive manner. But sadly too often teachers seem to
\nbe tardy or ill equipped to respond to these kinds of ignorant
\nbehavior. The teacher should be in the classroom to facilitate
\nand encourage tolerance and appreciation of difference but often
\nteachers themselves are stuck in a quagmire of intolerance and
\nfailure to appreciate difference.<\/p>\n
At one school the teachers themselves were literally
\nsegregating themselves along ethnic lines. The ethnic differences
\nto be encountered and recognized within the teaching staff had
\nbeen allowed to create small groups or cliques within the staff.
\nThese childish, foolish and ignorant notions meant that it was
\npossible to observe groups of Javanese teachers staying together,
\nof teachers from Sumatra staying together and of teachers from
\nNusa Tenggara staying as a group.<\/p>\n
These mutually exclusive groupings of teachers meant that
\nsocially there was little or no interaction between these
\nethnicly defined groups. Also, in their working practices and
\nday-to-day efforts within the school there was little
\ncommunication between these ethnic groupings. This inevitably
\nmeant that the teaching staff was not getting along well. It
\nmeant that difference was being allowed to stand in the way. An
\natmosphere of distrust and even dislike was being maintained
\npurely based on ethnic lines.<\/p>\n
In essence, then, these teachers were allowing their
\nprejudices to stand in the way of their working practices and in
\nturn these prejudices would be passed on to their students.
\nEffectively these teachers run the risk of extending and further
\nentrenching a failure to appreciate and tolerate difference.<\/p>\n
Difference is a great thing. Difference is what gives us our
\nhumanity; ethnic, cultural, religious, political, etc.; whatever
\nthe difference may be it is a wonder and something that the truly
\neducated and wise person can look upon as something that is of
\ngreat value; something that makes us rich; something that can
\nmake our lives more bountiful and fulfilling.<\/p>\n
School students and their teachers need to be actively engaged
\nin learning of difference, understanding difference and valuing
\nit as a great thing. As globalization increases we will
\nincreasingly encounter people of different nations and if we fail
\nto be able to understand difference then we are likely to fail in
\nthe era of globalization.<\/p>\n
In this sense it becomes essential that teachers are more
\nsophisticated and sensitive towards difference and in turn pass
\non such sophistication and sensitivity to school students, who
\nmay then capitalize and enjoy the wonders of human difference.<\/p>\n
"Unity in diversity" is a great motto; alongside it we could
\nplace "variety is the spice of life". By coming to appreciate
\nhuman variety we may have a more enjoyable and successful life,
\nwhich is not overshadowed by the clouds of prejudice and
\ninjustice.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/unity-in-diversity-teachers-and-students-must-embrace-difference-1447893297",
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