Moral education should aim to concentrate on 'show', not 'tell'

Simon Marcus Gower, Principal, Harapan Bangsa High School, Tangerang, Banten

Fighting on the streets of Jakarta. Gangs of youths running rampage. Stones are thrown and windows broken. Baton wielding frenzied fighters beating on each other. Traffic brought to a standstill as combatants chase each other across city streets.

What is happening here? Is it anarchy? Some demonstration that has become unruly? No, the freqent scenes are those of high school students engaged in a violent conflict, the root of which is ignorance, pettiness or some foolish misunderstanding.

What is it that allows high school students to so easy resort to violence? Certainly there are fights in and between schools all over the world but rarely does one see students recklessly endangering members of the public as seems to happen in Jakarta.

Perhaps these students have become used to the sight of violence on the streets -- but it may be that the education system is failing to instill within these students the values and discipline that would make such violence offensive and outside of their consideration.

Take the notion of discipline within schools in Indonesia. It is clear that the manner in which discipline is targeted in Indonesia is far more along the lines of humiliation than it is education. Rules are rigidly laid down and should anyone transgress against those rules they will face humiliation.

A few recent examples: A student who had been late once too often was ordered to stand outside his classroom for the whole school day, but -- to stand with nothing on his feet and on one leg. Should he be caught not standing on one leg, the time of his punishment would be extended.

Next, two students that the teacher complained of talking in class were ordered to run around the school premises for one hour -- in the heat of the midday sun. And a boy who had allowed his hair to grow beyond the regulation length summarily had his head shaved by a teacher in front of the rest of the school.

These are not the policies or tactics of a thoughtful or caring school system but are rather the kinds of antics one might reasonably expect to see within a fairly harsh prison. Establishments aimed at education should not seek to humiliate anyone, if there is any need to punish. It is far more credible within the scope of education to propose that where mistakes or misdemeanors have occurred the educators, first and foremost, should capitalize on them as an opportunity for the students to learn and appreciate more appropriate conduct.

They are after all developing adolescents from whom one may reasonably expect some misdemeanors, not criminals that have to be punished for their heinous criminality. Within the Indonesian curricula there are subjects that would allow students to consider morally and socially acceptable behavior.

The subject of Pendidikan Pancasila dan Kewarganegaraan (Education on Pancasila and Civics) is one such subject. But generally it seems the manner in which these subjects are handled is rather antiquated too. It seems that students are rather dictatorially told about standards. Rather than showing students through their general conduct the teachers are forcing rules upon them. The mentality is that the students must understand and obey rather than appreciate and chose to respect. Tell a child to do something and they will likely rebel.

Show them how and they will likely follow. Better to show rather than to tell. Certain schools are beginning to recognize and respond to a more modern and responsive need for moral input into the education system. Some schools now promote their educational package on the basis that they will and do enter into "character building" education. This is an interesting and useful development but again the approach may not be entirely appropriate.

Some schools designate "character building" as a new subject for which there is a specific teacher and a specific time slot within the timetable. This may mean that the notion of "character building" is prone to become little more than PPKN under another name. Again this constitutes a misconception of what is required. There is a real sense in which students should not be forced to learn about morals or building their characters.

There is a real sense in which teaching morals means little more than the imposition of rules. "Teaching character" is little more than a deceit and at best a misnomer. An oxymoron as character cannot be taught; it has to be developed over time and from experiences.

Character building, as part of moral education is entirely reasonable but it has to be realistic and legitimately handled. Teachers through their daily conduct can have a deep and lasting input into the morals and character of their students. In everything that is done, and in every way providing an example of thoughtfulness and politeness is the best way of helping the moral education of students.

In seeing how the teachers conduct themselves the students are being shown an example that they may both consciously and subconsciously follow. All schools should, then, consider moral and character driven education but it should come from all teachers in all subjects. The physical education teacher can teach good sportsmanship, biology and chemistry teachers can teach teamwork when working in laboratories, all teachers can teach respect for property and people as they manage their lesson time and the classroom.

The need for moral education cannot be denied and should form a key part of all educators' daily duties. Indonesian society needs strength in minds and moral strength too. Education's role in the development of society is great. In terms of moral input what education can do should be subtle but definite and well thought out -- to paraphrase a Chinese proverb "it should be as gradual as the moonrise, perceptible not in progress, but in result."