Introduction
Wisdom can be defined
as the “power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action,
based on knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 1997, p. 1533).
Such power has its significance in the field of education. These days there has
been a paradigm shift from the knowledge-based to wisdom-based approach to
education.
As a culturally rich
country, Indonesia has a wide variety of cultural assets and local wisdoms.
They have their own characteristics, strengths, and limitations. Indonesia
therefore is demanded to preserve and foster these “cultural roots for
crystallization, ideological boundaries for protection and filtering,
replacement of poor components, digestion of global knowledge, and total
openness to localize global knowledge in the process of globalizing education”
(Cheng, 2002).
The most prominent
local wisdom is proposed by Ki Hajar Dewantara. He was “a leading Indonesian independence,
movement activist, writer, columnist, politician, and pioneer of education, for
native Indonesians in Dutch colonial times”. Then he was honored as a National
Hero of Indonesia by Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, on 28 November 1959.
He was active in their propaganda service to socialize and promote public
awareness of Indonesia as a national unity (especially in Java), at the time
emphasize about the importance of the unity of the nation (Wikipedia).
This paper addresses what
Ki Hajar Dewantara has proposed for local knowledge and wisdom for the
developments of individuals and the local community through integration of
localization and globalization in education.
Ki Hajar Dewantara’s Concepts of Education
This section reveals
what has been advocated by Ki Hajar Dewantara for Indonesian education. It
includes (1) education for all, (2) Ing
ngarso sung tulodo, ing madyo mangun karso, tut wuri handayani,
Education for All (EFA)
Ki
Hajar Dewantara suggests that education should be made possible and available
for all people, regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity, culture, religion,
economic and social status, etc. He argued that education should be based on
the values of common or shared humanity, human freedom and the rights to seek
knowledge.
This is in line with UNESCO Publishing through the EFA
Global Monitoring Report (2007) entitled “Education for All by 2015: Will we
Make it?” marks the midway point in an ambitious international movement to expand
learning opportunities for every child, youth and adult in the world by 2015.
It pertains to “the expansion of early childhood care and education, the
achievement of universal primary education, the development of learning
opportunities for youth and adults, the spread of literacy, the achievement of
gender parity and gender equality in education and improvements in education
quality” (p. 5). This has
been at the heart of the world-wide efforts in improving quality of education
for all (Nanzhao, n.d.).
Ing ngarso sung tulodo, ing madyo mangun karso, tut wuri
handayani
There
is a popular proverb by Ki Hajar Dewantara revealing his ideals for education.
It was stated in Javenese. The sayings read: Ing ngarso sung tulodo, ing
madyo mangun karso, tut wuri handayani. Which translates: "(for those)
in front should set an example, (for those) in the middle should raise the
spirit, and (for those) behind should give encouragement". Today, part of
the proverb, Tut Wuri Handayani is used as the motto of Indonesian
Ministry of Education. It was meant to describe an ideal teacher, after
transmitting knowledge to their students, the teacher would stand behind their
students and give them encouragements in their quest for knowledge (ibid).
This implies that the
roles of a teacher cover developing a positive, respectful, professional and
ethical code of conduct in relation to students, parents, and colleagues, and
maintaining positive, supportive, professional relationships within the
education community. A teacher, in this instance, should be a role model for
students, colleagues, and community in general. Also, he or she should serve as
facilitator as a mentor and learning facilitator.
Development
of a “complete” person
According to
Dewantara, education should strive to develop learners as a “complete” person.
This insight infers that learners should be viewed as both individuals and
members of society. In addition, education should enable students to become not
only successful learning achievers at school but also responsible citizens,
effective workers, caring community members, and life-long learners, in an
increasingly interdependent world.
This has also been
conceptualized by UNESCO (1972) that the aim of development in education is
directed towards the complete fulfillment of man in all the richness of his
personality- cultivating qualities of imagination and creativity; acquiring
universally shared human values; developing aspects of a person’s potential:
memory, reasoning, aesthetic sense, physical capacity and communication/social
skills; developing critical thinking and exercising independent judgment; and
developing personal commitment and responsibility.
Conclusion
Ki Hajar Dewantara’s
proposed concept for the Indonesian education portrays the necessary
characteristics of the Indonesian education. It needs to be developed for “a
broadened vision of educational goals, to facilitate holistic approaches to
reorganizing educational contents, and to build national capacity in developing
key competencies required of all learners through curriculum renewal in
emerging knowledge-based societies of the 21st century” (Nanzhao, n. d).
References
Cheng, Y. C. (2002). Fostering
Local Knowledge and Wisdom in Globalized Education: Multiple Theories. Paper presented at The 8th International Conference on
“Globalization and Localization Enmeshed: Searching for a Balance in
Education”, November 18-21, 2002, Bangkok, Thailand.
Nanzhao, z. (n.d). Four Pillars of
Learning for the Reorientation and Reorganization of Curriculum: Reflections
and Discussions. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/cops/Competencies/PillarsLearningZhou.pdf
UNESCO Publishing. (2007). The EFA
Global Monitoring Report: Education for All by 2015: Will We Make It?
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This implies that the roles of a teacher cover developing a positive, respectful, professional and ethical code of conduct in relation to students, parents, and colleagues, and maintaining positive, supportive, professional relationships within the education community.
ReplyDeleteMatric Result 2015 BISE Sargodha Board
Yes, I agree with you. Teachers should internalize the code of conduct as they serve as a role model for their students, colleagues, and their community.
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