Better education system: A key to success

Better education system: A key to success

Pasca-Indonesia Pasca-Einstein: Esei-esei tentang Kebudayaan
Indonesia Abad ke-21 (Post Indonesia, Post Einstein, Essays on
Indonesian Culture for 21st Century); By Y.B. Mangunwijaya;
Kanisius, Yogyakarta, 1999; 335 pages

JAKARTA (JP): Y.B. Mangunwijaya was a Catholic priest and
national figure who was concerned with poor people. He was known
as one who always struggled for the truth and who defended the
poor who were oppressed by those in power or who had to suffer
for the sake of the interests of certain groups. Even though he
was a Catholic priest he never brought up the issue of religion.
He based his work on an understanding of universal humanity. His
role in community development along the Code river in Yogyakarta
and in the defense of people who were forced to give up their
land to make way for the construction of Kedung Ombo dam in
Central Java, proved his concerns.

Romo (Father) Mangun - that's how he was fondly called - gave
his life not only to the poor. He was also concerned with broader
issues, such as culture and the future of the nation. There was
an interesting issue left by Romo Mangun, who died in February
this year. That is, how to prepare a qualified generation,
equipped to face the third millennium, as outlined in his book
Pasca-Indonesia Pasca-Einstein: Esei-Esei tentang Kebudayaan
Indonesia Abad ke-21.

Romo Mangun believed that qualified human resources of the
future nation would not come naturally. People must be taught
from scratch. And it is in the education system that the teaching
must come. Why? Because education has a central place in
preparing the quality of human resources. But Romo Mangun tells
us that this would not work if we maintain the current education
system, which is based on a static way of thinking, monologue and
memorizing. Such a system could only produce yes-men. Romo Mangun
suggested that such a system should be abandoned. Education must
be able to prepare men and women who have creative thinking, who
are innovative and explorative; not people who are good at
memorizing and copying.

The problem is how to establish people with such
characteristics. Another question is what things must be done to
the schooling system so that such human resources can be
produced? According to Mangunwijaya, there is no other way than
creating a climate that is conducive to open dialog and democracy
in the teaching and learning process. Democracy guarantees the
human rights of every citizen, and similarly, such values must
also be applied in education. Which means that we must create an
education system which is fun and guarantees the freedom of
expression and which acknowledges the identity of the students as
subjects in the learning process. Therefore, teachers must change
their role, from preaching to activating the students; changing
their habit of punishing students to encouraging them; from
scolding them to praising them. They should not be the sole
decision maker, but become a partner for the students.

All of the above matters need serious attention, according to
Romo Mangun, because the function of education is not just to
develop the cognitive dimension, but also to develop the
individuality of the students. So, education should not just make
students know many facts and figures. It should be able to
stimulate their thinking and reasoning, their creativity and
their feeling, so that they can produce something in accordance
with their ability; and to ignite their social sensitivity and
moral conscience. Such characteristics need to be created by the
education system to face the third millennium.

The book is one of 10 books published by Kanisius in
observance of the 100th day of Romo Mangun's death. It contains
24 articles, categorized into two main groups: the character of
Indonesians in the 21st century and the impact of science and
technology on human life.

Romo Mangun said that the development of science and
technology was not without negative impacts. And, he elaborated,
such impacts had the potential to destroy human life if they were
not prevented. Therefore, he warned scientists and technocrats to
maintain the basic essence of science and technology: that is to
develop human life, not the other way around. Why? Because human
values could not be separated from the essence of science and
technology.

Two basic problems above still need to be addressed. Therefore
the book is quite relevant. Whoever is concerned with the future
of the nation, whether it be politics, culture or education,
should read this book.

-- Kasdin Sihotang

The reviewer is a lecturer at Atma Jaya University, Jakarta.