Universal education will stop disintegration<\/p>\n
By Iwan Pranoto<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Many believe that the 1928 Generation, mostly
\nconsisting of young educated civilians, had the most important
\nrole in the nation's history. This is because in 1928 the
\ncountry's founding fathers had a very progressive vision of what
\nIndonesia should be in the future.<\/p>\n
They declared that vision on Oct. 28, 1928, through a youth
\npledge, well known as Sumpah Pemuda -- One Country, One Nation,
\nand One Language: Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It can be imagined how hard it would be for Indonesians to
\nwrite and declare the same pledge at this time. The pledge has
\nnow become an empty slogan because Indonesians can no longer
\nstate the pledge whole-heartedly.<\/p>\n
The planned celebration of the youth pledge on Oct. 28 will be
\nquite ironic because during the current economic and political
\ncrises, disintegration problems are threatening the unity of the
\nrepublic.<\/p>\n
The nation's unity faces challenges from some groups which
\nhave raised various aspects ranging from regional to religious
\nand ethnic issues.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, with reference to the mid-May rioting in Jakarta
\nand other cities, it is difficult to believe that some
\nIndonesians were very cruel and violent toward their own brothers
\nand sisters. Such an incident is so contradictory to the youth
\npledge.<\/p>\n
At a governmental level, many discriminatory policies are
\napplied which give an impression that goals justify any means.
\nCorrupt practices, therefore, can flourish in the country.<\/p>\n
Worse still, these days so many unlawful things are happening
\nin the country, such as looting and gang raping. The worst thing
\nis that they happen against weak people. The popular belief
\nsaying that Indonesian people are peace-loving and tolerant
\nbecomes only a myth. What can actually be seen is just the fears
\non the faces of silent brothers and sisters surrounding the
\nburned neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
However, the majority of Indonesian people still believe in
\nthe unity of this nation. Historically, Indonesians were very
\ntolerant. Because of their tolerance, the old kingdoms could
\nprosper and trade boomed. Therefore, it is ironic that nowadays
\nsome of them are promoting disintegration issues.<\/p>\n
As members of this nation, all citizens have to solve the
\ndisintegration problem together and education is the only
\npossible and effective way to do this. Through education, they
\ncan enlighten themselves on the unity concept made by their
\nfounding fathers.<\/p>\n
Through education, they can keep learning universal values and
\nkeep reminding themselves about their existing differences that
\nhave made their lives rich.<\/p>\n
An educated community will create healthy surroundings,
\nwithout the need for violence or intolerance.<\/p>\n
As compared to traditional education which is provided in
\nschool buildings, the proposed universal education can be
\nprovided through a more general and informal institution.<\/p>\n
The main mission of the institution is to create a conducive
\nenvironment, provide each person with opportunities to improve
\ntheir ability to reason, and to learn to live together. It will
\nopen opportunities for its members to discuss matters and learn
\nothers' interests.<\/p>\n
This kind of environment will produce an intellectual culture
\nfacilitating an effective learning process.<\/p>\n
However, this environment must be able to overcome space and
\ntime constraints, meaning that it must be able to reach rural
\nareas in a short amount of time with the least amount of
\ninvestment.<\/p>\n
Such universal education for the creation of an intellectual
\nenvironment has been initiated by the state-owned PT Pos
\nIndonesia. After learning that the disintegration problem facing
\nIndonesia is threatening, the company proposed a model called
\nInformation Society or Masyarakat Informasi (Masif ) in Bahasa
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Using Internet facilities and other infrastructure, the
\ncompany plans to enable each of the Masif members to obtain and
\nexchange information.<\/p>\n
The company plans for the service to be available on Oct. 28
\nat post offices throughout the country, ranging from provincial
\ncapitals to rural villages.<\/p>\n
The service will initially include electronic-mail, mailing
\nlist and Internet exploring facilities.<\/p>\n
Utilizing this service, a person residing high on Mount
\nJayawijaya in Irian Jaya will be able to express her\/his
\nperspective on national issues or discuss different issues raised
\nby other members residing in various areas of the country. Thus,
\nthe environment will provide an opportunity for its people to
\nlearn differences of opinion and, at the same time, to appreciate
\nthem. It will create a climate feasible for its people to learn
\nto be tolerant with each other and to enlighten themselves about
\nthe diversity of the nation, as well as the values of fairness,
\nhonesty, respect and trust.<\/p>\n
If the company plans to focus its services for the
\nintellectually strong community, other parties should look for
\nways to serve the intellectually weak community, which is usually
\nconsidered as a submissive group that can be exploited.<\/p>\n
Teachers at elementary schools in rural villages, who can be
\nregarded as members of this latter community, are very often
\nneglected under the government's development programs, even
\nthough they play a strategic role in educating children for the
\nadvancement of the future generation. In addition amounts are
\noften deducted from their low salaries by government officials.<\/p>\n
Actually, the future of the next generation will depend very
\nmuch on such teachers. But their way of teaching is tightly
\ncontrolled by the central government. The materials taught in the
\nclassrooms, for example, are chosen by the government in Jakarta.
\nThe truth of materials is monopolized by the government, while
\nthe teachers are only transferring them from books to the
\nmemories of their students.<\/p>\n
Besides that, the teaching method is closer to a form of
\nindoctrination and students are conditioned to memorize things,
\nnot to learn to reason. As a matter of fact, this is actually one
\nof the reasons why most Indonesian university students and other
\nsociety members nowadays are only submissive listeners, not
\ncritical thinkers and creative learners.<\/p>\n
For a better future, teachers must be promoted as agents of
\nchange because they can absorb new information and convey it to
\ntheir students.<\/p>\n
The information obtained by a teacher can be distributed to
\nmore than 50 students easily. It will indeed be a strategic step
\nfor the building of the nation if services are provided that
\nwould encourage teachers to expand their knowledge.<\/p>\n
Utilizing such services, teachers residing in rural villages
\ncan learn to improve their teaching processes to make their
\nstudents learn more effectively.<\/p>\n
The writer is a math lecturer at the Bandung Institute of
\nTechnology.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/universal-education-will-stop-disintegration-1447893297",
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