Education for nation-building: understanding not memorizing-be a participant, not a recipient

‘I see kids, lots of them, all very different.’

‘Do you want to know what I see?’

‘What?’

‘I see the potential to learn.’

Borich (1995, 13)

Starting from Education

According to Queen Rania of Jordan, one of the most influential women in the world and wife of King Abdullah II has a vision, education is an opportunity. As reported by http://www.queenrania.jo, education is an opportunity to work, the opportunity to escape from poverty, a chance for a healthier life, and a chance for hope. Moreover, anyone has the right to education since education is to change. Through education, community and country can be lifted out of quicksand destitution to the plains of progress.

Education Itself

Education was initially viewed as something precious and presumably still valid today. People who were educated, at least they have had the opportunity to become noble. They might have turned out to be a better person than before. Therefore, education is accessible to the wider world, the world in which our minds are no longer confined. We had the opportunity to know all things and regarding which we never knew and probably never even thought of before. Besides, education has become the torchlight.

The term education cannot be separated from the context of the pursuit of knowledge as a central to the education itself. Shall we get a variety of knowledge through education? The real essence of education is to get the knowledge, comprehend fully, and apply it. Education is not just a matter of score or just frills in getting the title, primarily to get a certificate. The misguided conception of education and the creation of a false perception of the essence of education are very disturbing indeed.

The Power of Education

Is there such a large social gap between the rich and the poor? How many people live on poverty when others are able in luxury? What happened exactly? It turns out to real life; however, everyone is really struggling with life and they are struggling to survive. That is what happened. The difference is primarily by their chance of determining the quality of life. As a result, the Indonesian government should be more open eyes, more to seeing, hearing, and perceiving it. Education, in fact, is that they want. Specifically, education is a necessity for every human being. As well as knowledge will deliver the changes because accesses to education at least as the opening to minimize the social disparities. Deeper than that, holding the education should create sublime—can tell which are good or bad. The implication, negative behavior immoral not happens. All things that have touched education provide a better side. Education can save a girl from early marriage and premature pregnancy, also it can empower women to control their lives separately, the mind, body, and soul. It means that education can improve the quality of human resources, to compete and develop the nation. Hence, it could improve the living standards of the people, regardless of the shackles of poverty. In addition, education wisely can drive and manage the economic foundations of the people. Thus, true education does not invent corruption. If there are cases with negative behavior happens, then something is wrong with the nation’s education.

Education Today

Following recent concerns about education is how the knowledge presented in it, putting the essence of learning will continue to cling, do not ever die like air is inhaled, experienced, and felt. Education must really mean for actors who run it. In contrast, of the many bombardments, and the latest breakthroughs in sustainable development efforts in education, such as methods or approach of learning that often appear in various forms, as if those are the right move. In a sense, the policymakers are too busy and only focused on the technical issues of education. Indeed, the more important than it has forgotten whereas the important thing is the heart of education—educational nature in truth. On the other hand, the fact that only education today emphasizes quantity rather than quality is questionable. Several graduates who achieve 100% are considered as an educational achievement despite the scores are imposed—hoisted to achieve the highest score triggering a dubious understanding of learning. Do these students really understand what they learn? Do they enjoy the learning process? There are too many perceptions about education that overlap and create meaning and function of education are blurred from which the most fundamental of education obscured. It feels stakeholders become difficult to map precisely the problems of education.

Before focusing on straightening things detailed and the problems specifically, there would be much wiser if the common things seen and fundamental to be addressed first. As mentioned earlier like an analogy to the proverb elephant in the eyelid is not visible, but the ants across the ocean are visible. Just look at the face of education today, which is just a phenomenon of competition. Competition to get the highest score as well as just in order to pass, then it is normal that they just got the certificate. Consequently, such demands make the learners forgetting meaningful knowledge as the most important. Similarly, knowledge is to be understood, internalized, and not limited to simply memorized, nor a scratch of scores.

It is obvious even to students that studying for them is something they do not like. They always feel under pressure, do not enjoy nor understand what the point of this doing, for them learning is merely a hollow routine. They just geared to be the best, if not able to do so they are considered with failed and partly onto stupid. Sadly, children are forced to follow the flow of the competition, which sometimes really makes kids depressed. If you like to compete, then you just keep the racing horse instead of the kids. In short, every child has the ability and unique dreams.

When true education occurs, mostly considered to indicate who is more powerful. Unfortunately, that is out of true expectation. Whenever learners can understand not memorizing, they take advantage rather focus on learning. It means that the learners cannot really understand what they have learned until they discover it for themselves. Thus, teachers’ beliefs must be properly addressed, since; it would affect their students’ lives. Most of the teachers’ belief in Indonesia is just as struggling to deliver their students passing the exam.

Hopes and Challenges

Mapping the issues of education in Indonesia attained several important aspects. They are teachers’ beliefs and understanding of the students whom they teach. Teachers should have a conviction concerning the understanding of knowledge than the pursuit of success for a moment. That is, make the learners know the reason to pursue an education. Learners might obtain an “A” in the daily tests, but the result was in fact not guarantee they understood it. For example, when learners can learn vocabulary and memorize what they have read and maybe even get an “A”. However, that does not mean they will remember it for very long and make decisions in the real world. That is because they may have been only a recipient and not a participant in the learning process. At the same time, do not force them to follow the instructions exactly as written in the book. The learners have the ideas and creative thinking that should be facilitated. More commonly it is said that education makes the learners really feel what they are doing so that the process of finding and understanding the knowledge can work well.

To explain it further, education makes them honest, which is ensured by the teacher asking the students to be able to measure and evaluate themselves. Furthermore, make them see, hear, and perceive it in person. Teachers also need to understand that every child is unique. To elaborate the point further, first, ignore the pressing rules before teachers really understand the real character of their students. Second, teachers only need to have knowledge about learning strategies, communication strategies, learning styles, and learning disabilities. Definition concerning methods and learning approach in the classroom, none is suitable and appropriate for each child. Thus, do not dwell on specific teaching methods and rigid binding because the teacher is dealing with living things. The learners had a response to what they received and experienced.

Moreover, suppress competition and tend to unfair, instead cultivate the seeds of negative behaviors, such as cases of corruption, selfish, or sometimes justify any means to be superior to others. Government policy regarding the provision and assessment process were studied, such as the national exam is not considered appropriate. To conclude, the learning process simply to meet the assessment standards of graduation at last. Education as it is just a camouflage; education has no by heart feels empty.

Realization and Courage

Making changes required commitment and consistent effort, also, of course, it will require considerable process time-consuming. For the sake of the realization of a change, courage is necessary. If there are no courage impossible changes can be realized. It is obvious, education expects real change and hits the mark, afterward start with the first step. Imagine it: change immediately the entire teachers’ belief, education is an essential foundation of the presence of knowledge that can be internalized and applied by the doer. It is important to remember, the tutorship is very noble, and they were just looking for an easy job with lots of holidays that must be spent quickly. Accordingly, education is the future battle when this new perspective bringing. This is not a mere slogan sweetener, though, education regarding the livelihood of the Indonesian people. Literally, the presence of education is not limited to the fulfillment of knowledge solely, still meaningful at all. Because of something that comes from the heart must produce achievement. Completely, education is for all without exception that is focusing on the comprehending fully of knowledge. In short, this is not about how well organized the education, but this is a matter of education that can be experienced—understanding not memorizing. There is nothing much better than we can be a participant, not just a recipient.

Let’s make it happen!

Have you ever heard of a country namely Utopia? Obviously, that country is situated in the middle of nowhere—an island in the Atlantic Ocean—with an ideal system of government. So ideally, the islanders have no distress and suffering since they all really feel justice and prosperity. The people have no locks on their doors because they all have the necessities of life. Any violators will be punished severely so that no one dares to violate. The overview of Utopia is what will happen if the education is directed to the truth. Inevitably the education must pure, no other elements straddling, except to the understanding of the knowledge. Moreover, education certainly empower, what kind of education is meant? In conclusion, starting from the heart, just experience the knowledge—comprehend fully—not in a state of forced or even as demand for getting good grades. Creating a better education in Indonesia is to understanding not memorizing—be a participant, not a recipient. It is simple but meaningful.

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Karin Sari Saputra