Kids must learn morals, etiquette at home: Expert
Kids must learn morals, etiquette at home: Expert
JAKARTA (JP): Families have the obligation to implant morality
and etiquette in children because these basic values are not
supposed to be taught formally at school, a respected educator
said Saturday.
"The process of implanting certain values in a child, which
is later expected to shape his personality, is an informal one...
It can only be done through informal interaction between the
child and his environment," said Father J. Drost SJ.
Drost is a prominent professor in education who teaches at the
Gajah Mada University, Atmajaya University and Teachers and
Education Training Institute (IKIP), all in Yogyakarta.
Speaking at a seminar on "Teaching manners and moral values to
children", Drost pointed out that courses on moral values based
on the state ideology Pancasila, or PMP, should only be seen as
complementing the informal education.
"Parents are the first to teach a child about God, about
social relations and about the responsibility towards other human
beings and towards himself. Society helps the parents and school
fill in what parents can't handle, which is teaching," Drost
said.
He said the task of teachers can be limited to "teaching a
child to study well -- including at home."
However, responsible teachers will not stop at the teaching
process, he said.
"There must be room (in the process) to establish moral
values, because students should go beyond merely achieving
academic distinction. Schools must help students become
competent, accomplished people who are aware of others peoples'
rights and can become a person for other people," he said.
Shapers
Drost, who is a former principal of Gonzaga and Kanisius
Senior High Schools and former rector of the IKIP Sanata Dharma
in Yogyakarta, said this demanded a lot from teachers. But "this
means they become not only teachers but educators and shapers (of
a personality) as well."
The seminar, which was held by Bobo children's magazine, was
attended by 300 people, most of whom were parents and education
practitioners.
Led by psychologist Niniek L. Karim, the seminar also
presented speakers Riris K. Toha-Sarumpaet from the University of
Indonesia's School of Letters and Yaumil C. Agoes Achir from the
Ministry of Population.
Riris, who presented a paper on "Moral messages in children's
books as a means to implant moral values" defined a good
children's book as a work of literature written with the
consideration of children and placing them as subjects in the
stories.
Citing the title of several books, Riris said that at the end
of the 18th century the "dictating and preaching" attitude of
children's books changed into a more lively and friendly one,
"teaching" children in a way which was more enjoyable to them.
Responding to questions from a participant on the impact of
television programs towards children's choice of books, Riris
agreed that it was difficult to keep children away from the TV
set, "and its not the TV's fault if the children opt for comic
books which are shown on TV. You can't just throw out the TV."
Riris, who has children of her own, said that in cases like
these she would usually make a deal with her children.
"If they buy three good, narrative books, for instance, I will
buy them a comic book of their choice. They may ask for money
from their aunts or uncles for additional comics but they will
never get that extra money from me," she said.
This way, Riris continued, as the children grew they
understood that "comics are not their class". (pwn)