Punitive Education in Indonesia and That Reality

Fifteen years ago I once protested to a teacher of a school where my child is studying in the United States. The problem is, the English essay written by my son was sober it has been given the value of E (excellence) which means perfect, great, very good. In fact, he had just arrived in America and just started learning the language.

The article he wrote the day before was ever shown to me and I was concerned about his limited verbal ability. I think the writing is bad. The logic is very simple. I ask him to fix it again, until he give up.

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Apparently that essay is what my son gave to his teacher and not given a bad grade, even praised. What is wrong? Is not it wrong to give value? Does not education need sincerity? If this had been given high marks, I am afraid my child will be complacent.

As I protested, the teacher's mother who received me only asked briefly.

"Excuse me, where are you from?"
"From Indonesia," I replied.
She smiled.

The meeting was an important turning point for my life. That's the moment that changed my way of educating and building society.

"I understand," replied the teacher whose face began to wrinkle, but still sympathetic. "Several times I met fathers from Indonesia who are children
his son was educated here, "he continued.

"In your country, teachers are very difficult to give value. Our philosophy of educating here is not to punish, but to stimulate people to move forward. Encouragement! ", He continued his argument.

"I've been teaching for 20 years. Every child is different. But for a child of that size, just arriving from a country whose mother tongue is not English, I can guarantee that this is a great work, "he pointed to an English-language essay my son made.

From that discussion, I got some precious lessons. We can not measure the achievements of others according to our size.

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I remember how easy it was to complete my study of "A" grades, from master to doctor.

While in Indonesia, I have to complete the study somersaults ditengarai threat of drop out and the testers who are ready to pounce.

In fact, while taking exam doctoral program abroad, I can pass it easily. The lecturers' questions were very serious and made me really prepared. However, the atmosphere of the test was made very friendly.

A tester asks, while the other testers do not press. But it helps to give way as soon as they know the answer. They showed me the graphs and explained them so much that we understood more.

The exam is full of praise, asking about the future and discussing
lack of openness.

On returning to the country, many things I often witnessed. Teachers are not helping each other, even participate "swallow" students who sit on the test bench.

Ethically, an examiner or promoter defends or straightens the question. But what often happens in the homeland precisely testers angry, offended, and spread the news is not tasty as if the good is a shrimp behind the stone.

I had the tremendous frustration of watching the lecturers test, which I'm sorry, I think is very inhumane.

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They instead do encouragement, but rather discouragement. The results can be predicted, the graduation is low and the graduated quality is not great too great.

The depressed man later found me also tended to test by pressing. There is a kind of element of revenge and suspicion.

I remember very well how American teachers are advancing their students. Then I thought, it is fitting that the children there are able to be the writers of great scholarly works, even the Nobel Prize recipients. Not because they have an academically intelligent teacher, but the teacher's educated character is powerful: the constructive character, not the destructive.

Back to my son's experience above, the teacher's mother reminded me. "Let us not measure the quality of our children with our ability that is far ahead," he said with great earnestness.

I am also reminded of the report cards of children in America written in verbal form.

Newly arrived Indonesian children generally have difficulty, but their report card is not given a red grade, but given a sentence that encourages him to work harder, as follows. "Sarah has started hard, she tried it seriously. But Sarah has made significant progress. "

That night, I went to my sleeping child and kissed his forehead. I want to embrace her in the midst of guilt for having given her an objective judgment.

He once protested when receiving the value of E which means excellent, but I just said that "his teacher salah ". Now, I am able to see it with different glasses. Can we print great people by creating fear? It is not impossible that we are a generation formed by a million threats: Rattan beats, chipped or eraser by teacher, setrap, and so on. We are raised with a thousand and one word threats: Beware ...; If…; Later…; and of course the red lit writing on the exam papers and school report cards. Schools that make us uncomfortable may make us more disciplined. However, it can also turn off initiative and relax the spirit. The new findings in brain science have shown the human brain is not static, but can be conical (smaller) or vice versa, can grow. All that is highly dependent of. or support (encouragement) gained from the people around him. Thus, human intelligence can grow, but otherwise can also decrease. There are smart people and some people are not smart or stupid. But there are also people who "add smart" and there are also people who "added stupid". Begin to encourage progress, not sow threats or fears.Bandulah children of Indonesia to move forward, not with contempt.