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30 Nov 21

Webinar for Kindergarten Teachers on World Children's Day, Hero's Day, and National Teacher's Day

English

The annual World Children's Day on 20th of November dates back to 1954, when the desire to improve the welfare of children was expressed in international cooperation. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was proclaimed by the United Nations on the same date in 1989. There have been efforts around the world since then to fulfill the rights of children, among which is the right for children to receive a proper education. Merdeka Belajar (Freedom learning) is the concept coined by the Minister of Education and Culture of the Indonesia Maju Cabinet as a new policy program centered around character building, freedom of thought, and learning outside the classroom.

 

There are various definitions and interpretations of Merdeka Belajar, many of which refer to education in Finland which has a top position in the world education rankings (Pisa test). How about Indonesia? Are there values of the original Indonesian character that can be extracted from the National Hero in the field of education, Ki Hajar Dewantoro, regarding freedom of learning? The webinar organized by the ars86care foundation last 20th of November attempted to explore ideas that have taken root in this beloved country, with the theme "Merdeka Belajar" in the style of Ki Hajar Dewantara.  

 

The ideas of Ki Hajar Dewantara have been thoroughly discussed with DR. Fachruddin Faiz, who is a doctoral graduate in philosophy from the State Islamic University of Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The concept of popular education was opened with the idea that educating children is part of educating the people. A strong people will ensure that this country prospers. Education should be able to transform children into patriotic citizens and human beings. He also criticized the European approach to schooling since it bred "intellectualism" and emphasized wishful thinking. Individualism and materialism are the spiritual poisons that destroy the peace and tranquility of people's lives. In his opinion, freeing oneself from all ties to things other than God, being free from wrath of the self, and being pure in heart are key principles to independent living, understanding the nature of nature as a guide, and being free from all attachment to things other than God are the principles. The quality of a human living independently is determined by the quality of his heart and mind (Tetep - Mantep - Antep). To be free, one must believe in God, and also believe in himself/herself, because freedom comes from being brave, tough, and trusting, as well as physically and mentally strong and able to work double-duty (Ngandel - Kendel - bandel - kandel). Also, the person should own the ability to be calm both physically and mentally, to be clear headed, to be strong at peace, to be physical and mentally strong, and to be in charge of one's own efforts or wins (neng - ning - nung - nang). These all complement the well-known slogans of Ki Hajar Dewantara, Ing Ngarso sung tulodo, Ing Madyo Mangun Karso.

 

The webinar was opened with remarks from the Managing Director of the ars86care foundation, Mr. Budhi Mar'at, followed by the Head of the Education and Culture Office, Mr. Darmanto. One of the great things about this event was the presence of Mr. Ganjar Pranowo, the Governor of Central Java province, on the sidelines of his busy schedule of attending the opening of the MotoGP in the Mandalika area. Everyone was motivated by his presence.

 

Participants of Kindergarten teachers from Demak, Grobogan, Boyolali (Central Java), and Gunungkidul (Yogyakarta) who are members of  Paguyuban Mitra Yayasan Arsitek86 Peduli, namely teachers from village kindergartens built by ars86care, teachers from IGTKI in the 4 districts above, as well as kindergarten teachers throughout Indonesia as many as 147 teachers, listening to the speakers' presentations. As Mrs. Ninies Wahyudiono, an activist and politician, moderated the meeting, the participants actively took part in the quizzes and asked questions. They also won attractive prizes for the best questioners.  

 

Last but not least, "Everyone is a Teacher, Every House is a School" emphasizes that education for children does not stop at school buildings, but also at home, on the street, in public places, everywhere. This message has to be repeated again and again to increase public awareness and remind us that together, we can build a nation that is intelligent, willing to work hard, and resilient.

 

30 Nov 2021