Abstract
Character education program run by Indonesian Ministry
of Education and Culture in 2010 encountered several obstacles as schools were
unable to integrate character education into curriculum. Schools also got difficulty to employ an appropriate character instructional
strategy. However, some schools that are affiliated with
religions proved to be successful in implementing character education. They
formulated religious values into their academic culture that were implemented
as a part of their curriculum.
As a multi-faith, multiethnic, and
multi-culture country, Indonesia is unable to employ such strategy at public
schools as their teachers and students come from different faith. Therefore, it
is necessary to find out alternative
resources serving as the basis of character education.
One of potential alternative resources for
character education foundation is local wisdom, which is accepted by local
community surrounding schools, and is closely related to local cultures. The
research aimed at examining local wisdom from different areas of Indonesia
comprising character values that were potentially able to implement at schools.
Gathering from document analyses, focus group
discussions, and in-depth interviews, the research found that there were
various forms of local wisdom including folklores and inspirational quotes.
Serving as a basis of social interaction, local wisdom comprised principles of
the relationship between a human and God, himself, others, and his environment.
From the view-point of its implementation, local wisdom involved principles of
how to manage both spiritual, mind, and physical aspects.
The research also found that the local
wisdom of most communities in Indonesia have common ground, which are appropriate
to be used as core values of character education at schools. Later, schools integrate the core values in
the school culture as part of curriculum.
Keywords: local wisdom, character education
Introduction
In
2010 the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Republic of Indonesia launched
a character education program for all levels of education. Actually character education is already there in the curriculum, and even becomes
the main aim of Religion and civic education subjects, but the results are not
as expected in the curriculum. Many people complain about the behavior of
students who are not in accordance with the values of the life of the local
area. Therefore, the character education is not a new program, but rather a
mainstreaming an old program that has not been successful so far. By
mainstreaming the program, it is expected that the character education will be
effective and the aim of developing character of the students
can be achieved.
The
term of character, morals and akhlaq are
interpreted as identical by some experts; but there are also
those who consider the three terms are different, although overlapping meanings
exists (Majid and Andayani, 201: 8-14). In this paper, the three terms are
understood as identical, since the focus is character education, with
the purpose of how
to develop the character of students.
How
character is formed? Sudarsono (2009: 79-82) mentions that the character is
formed as a combination of self identity with
environmental influences. Meanwhile, Schulman and Mekler (1985: 19-120)
describes the theory of the three foundation stones of moral development,
namely Internalization, empathy, and personal moral standards. There are still
many theories proposed by other experts, but it can be concluded that character
can be taught, although there is an inborn component.
How
important the character education is, so that some experts like Lapsley (2008:
30) states that the moral formation of children is one of the foundational
goals of formal education. In Indonesian context
Ki Hajar Dewantara (2004: 14-15), the Father of Indonesian Education, says that
education is a growing effort to promote character (inner strength and
character), mind (Intellectual) and the child's body. Each of which should not
be separated so as to advance the children perfection of life. Even the National Law on
Educational System states that the purpose of education is to develop students'
potentials to become a man of faith and obedience (taqwa) of God Almighty, noble, healthy, knowledgeable, skilled,
creative, independent, and become democratic and responsible citizens. Five out of the eight goals of education in Indonesia are closely related to character.
Nearly
two years, the program was implemented, schools had difficulty how to integrate
with the existing curriculum. Teachers also had difficulty how to teach character
which is not only for knowledge but becoming a real
behavior. As mentioned by Linkona (1991: 51-62) a character education should
not stop at only a knowledge (moral knowing), but should be continued to create
an awareness that it should be implemented (the moral feeling) and at last,
with own consciousness, it will be done in daily life (moral action).
Teachers’
efforts to insert character’s aspects in topics of the subjects they taught was
only up to the knowledge (moral knowing), but has not been able to change
everyday behavior as a form of moral action. In-depth interviews with students
also found out that most of
the students knew most
aspects of character, but they did not feel obliged to
implement the aspects of the character (moral feeling).
However,
studies conducted by the Character Education Development
Team of the Ministry of Education and Culture found that there were schools
that successfully implement character education, even since before the launch
of the character education program (Samani and Haryanto, 2011). These schools
are schools that have affiliation
with a particular religion. Character education in schools is manifested in the
form of school culture that is associated with the values of the religious
affiliation of the schools. For example, the character of respect for teachers
and elders were grown by relating that the attitude was a religious obligation.
The character of maintaining cleanliness is associated with the teaching that
it is part of faith. Thus implementing the character aspects is understood as a
religious character.
In
these schools, religious values adopted are transformed into rules, programs
and even a culture in the school environment. Thus a process of enculturation
occurs, because students experience a habituation along with the building of
values so that it becomes a process of enculturation. The program becomes more
effective due to such schools where school leaders
and teachers in general are devout religion believers, so they can be an model
for their students. As extracted from the book of Yudi Latif (2014) that
character building needs springs of model.
The
problem that arises for public schools or schools which are not affiliated to
certain religion is on the values referenced in building school culture. Some
people, perhaps including Yudi Latif (2014) considers that Pancasila (Indonesian Five Principles or National Phylosophy) values can be used as a reference. But many teachers agree that the
values are too abstract and not easy to find real practice in everyday life as
example. Consequently, character education runs as ungrounded knowledge and is
not to be implemented in daily life.
The aims of this study is to find the source of the values that are suitable for the reference of
character education that can be integrated into
the subjects and also can be a reference to build a school culture
(Balibang Dikbud, 2011). Moreover, the values are expected to be easily understood
by students and easily contextualized with students’ daily life. One alternative
is the local wisdom (local wisdom).
Local
wisdom has been rooted in tradition and has even become part of the local
culture. Therefore, it can be ascertained that the local wisdom is easily
understood by children of elementary to senior high school. Moreover, usually
the local wisdom has implementation examples, whether it is in the form of
folklore or wise words.
The
further problem is that Indonesia is a country of multi-races, multi-ethnics,
multi-religions and multi-cultures, so almost every region has a different
local wisdom. If then this will be used as a reference in national character
education, it is certainly very risky, because it is very likely that there is
a contradicting local wisdom between one region to another.
Therefore,
this study explores a variety of local wisdom; it explores the basic values
contained in it, and expects to find common values (common ground) that can
later be used as values in character education. If the common values can be
found, then the character education will have the same basic values for all
regions, and each region will be able to associate these basic values with its
local wisdom.
This
study was done in 30 regions which are considered to have different
characteristic of local wisdom, so that various values were represented. The
regions are: (1)
Banda Aceh - Aceh, (2) North Sumatra - Batak, (3) West Sumatra - Minang, (4)
Jambi - Malay, (5) Palembang, (6) Lampung, (7) West
Jawa -
Banten, (8) Jakarta - Betawi, (9) Central Java - Banyumas, (10) East Java -
Samin, (11) East Java - Tengger, (12) Central/East Java -Mataraman/Ngawi),
(13) West Kalimantan - Singkawang, (14) West
Kalimantan - Sambas, (15) East Kalimantan - Kutai, (16) South Kalimantan -
Banjar, (17) Central Kalimantan - Dayak, (18) North Sulawesi - Minahasa, (19)
Gorontalo, (20) Central Sulawesi - Kaili, (21) South Sulawesi - Bugis, (22)
South East Sulawesi - Buton, (23) Central/Southeast Sulawesi - Bajo, (24) Bali
(25) Nusa Tenggara - Sasak, (26) East Nusa Tenggara - Flores, (27) Maluku -
Ambon, (28) Maluku - Ternate, (29) Papua - Sentani, (30) Papua - Fakfak.
The study towards documents, observations and interviews with
local societies found that local wisdom may be in the form of either: (1)
custom and tradition, (2) ethics and social manners, (3) utterances and politeness
(4) patterns of social relationships, (5 ) kinship and mutual cooperation, (6)
the relationship of parents with children, (7) law and justice, (8) education
and science, (9) honesty and virtue, (10) life attitude and struggles, (11) trust
and faith, (12) prudence and introspective, (13) leadership and management,
(14) moral development and personality,
(15) deliberation and democratic, (16) work ethic and attitude, (17) the
avoided misconduct, (18) life survival strategy, and (19) the humanity duties
and responsibilities.
Exploration of local wisdom in that 30
regions concluded a resemblance from one region to another, although there are
regions that have special emphasis on its local wisdom. For example Minang community
(West Sumatra) emphasizes more on intelligence to face life, which is reflected
in the famous phrase "hiduik baraka,
baukue jo bajangka" meaning a suggestion to use reason and future
thinking in life. Lampung society emphasizes kinship and upholds dignity.
Banyumas community, although is still part of the Javanese which is feudalism,
it emphasizes on a high value of equality. Samin (East Java) emphasizes simplicity and
patience, and Gorontalo people greatly attempts to correct misconduct.
Although it seems different, there are
universal values in the regions’ local wisdom. For example, the character of
upholding equality which is emphasized in Banyumas society is also owned by the
Minang community, although without emphasis. While the values of simplicity
which is emphasized in the Samin community turns out to be existed in Gorontalo
community although it is not emphasized.
When it is examined more deeply it was found that the values embodied in
the life of local wisdom always have a way of life related with the
relationship between man with God, with himself, with another man (society) and
with the environment. These relationships are interconnected and mutually
influenced as seen in Figure 1 below.
Figure
1. Human Relation in Local Wisdom
An
understanding of human existence turns to develop local wisdom
about how man should behave as God’s creature (hamba) and it decides the whole value systems in local
wisdom. How man behaves to others, to himself and to the environment always inspired
by the view of life as a God’s creature (hamba). Meanwhile, the behavior of how man behaves to others, to
himself and to the environment is mutually interrelated.
As mentioned earlier, the
values of the characters contained in the local wisdom are many and various
among regions, but these values can be categorized based on each implementation
in life. There are a number of characters values which are associated with the mind and
is personal, there are a number of values related with the character but it is
social, there are a number of character values related with a conscience
(heart), there are also a number of character value related with conscience
(heart) but it is social. If those aspects of character of the local wisdom
are illustrated in the four groups, it may be seen as Figure 2.
|
|
Mind
|
Heart1
|
|
|
personal
|
intelligent, critical, creative, innovative, curious, open-minded,
productive, future-oriented, and reflective
(represented
by smart)
|
honest, trustworthy,
fair, responsible, empathetic, risk-taking, self-sacrificing, and patriotic
spirit
(represented
by honest)
|
|
|
social
|
clean and healthy, discipline, sportive, tough, reliable, resilient,
friendly, cooperative, determinative, competitive, and cheerful.
(represented
by tough)
|
friendly, respectful,
tolerant, caring, mutual assistance, give priority to the public interest,
proud to use the language and local products.
(represented
by care)
|
|
Figure
2 : Character Aspects in Local Wisdom
This study aims to find
the values of the character of the local wisdom as common value which can be
easily applied in education in schools. Through focus group discussions with
teachers and other education stakeholders
at school level, it was produced four basic values that each represents mind-personal that is smart, mind-social that is tough, heart-personal that is honest and heart-social that is care. This is illustrated in Figure 2.
To ascertain whether the
four aspects of the character would be received by the stakeholders of
education, a series of discussions were conducted to discuss it. It was even
presented in the national discussion forum attended by the Head of Education
Office from Provinces/Districts/Cities across the country of Indonesia, the
public university rectors, and other educational figures. In general, the four
aspects of the character can be accepted as basic character in character education,
although there are additions in accordance with the characteristics of the
local community.
Thus, honest, smart,
tough and care become the basic aspects of the character that will
be implemented in schools. Because the four derived from local wisdom, the schools are expected to
easily relate those with the values of life that already exist and thrive in
the region. It should be noted that the schools can add other aspects that are
considered essential for the surrounding community. But the four basic aspects
of character should be the main reference.
Learning from successful
schools that have implemented character education, the four basic aspects of character
must be integrated into all activities in schools, so as to build school
culture. Therefore, all teachers must integrate those aspects of characters in the teaching-learning process reinforced with appropriate local wisdom values. At a
suitable subject, integration can be as the substance but for other subjects it
may be included teaching-learning process.
All extra-curricular
activities, such as sports, arts, martial, scouts, etc., should also include
the growth those aspects of the
character, and from the successful schools that has the experience to develop
character, extra-curricular activities is indeed very effective to grow the
character.
 |
Figure 3. The
Implementation of Character Education at Schools
Above
all, the aspects of the character that derive from the local wisdom should be
used as a reference of all the rules and policies of the school. All rules and
policies should contain the values of honesty; intelligence growth, toughness
and concern for others. All school leaders, teachers and employees should be a
role model for students in the implementation of the four characters in
everyday life.
Modeling
is very important, because some experts say that character is not easily
taught, it is more easily transmitted. Thus, teachers must implement character
first, before teaching it (Zamroni, 2011: 179), and the four aspects of the
character should be used as a school culture that is supported by exemplary
school leaders, teachers and school employees.
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