T

he younger generation is, alarmingly, being influenced by radicalism on many fronts, whether politically or religiously. Part of it is fueled by an identity crisis catalyzed internally by society and externally by sophisticated propaganda through traditional and social media.

While there are many facets to radicalism, the recent increases can be attributed to the ongoing decades of devastating wars and spontaneous and fueled political uprisings. Invigorated by a social identity crisis, these create unforeseen and disastrous results, both for individuals and for society at large.

The religious and political radicalization of youth is therefore a burning issue at the moment. With so many future hopes and human destinies being lost, it is important to understand and address the roots of this radicalization.

When so many well-educated young individuals globally are becoming radicalized, it is natural to reflect on the role of the education system in shaping our future generations. The current education system, while delivering on issues of greater scientific achievements, has failed our youth and their families and societies in providing a better life and a safer world. It is this failure that is leading to a vacuum and leaving youth vulnerable to radicalization.

With the frequent political and religious-related conflicts in Indonesia and other countries, tackling radicalism in schools is a problem for education officials. Based on experiences from various education systems in both West and East, the following components in the education system have been identified as needing to be urgently addressed.

Multi-faith teaching in schools. The curriculum of many schools around the world focuses entirely on one religion only. Even those schools where a single-religion focus is prohibited often adhere to social norms and promulgate a bias. It is vital that students are taught about the similarities and differences between various religions in order to prepare them for real life.

Multi-faith teaching can promote respect and empathy, increasingly important characters in the globalized and multicultural 21st century. Educating youth about the diversity of various faiths can better equip them to become less vulnerable to the risks of religious radicalization in future.

Religious education is supposed to give students a strong basis of knowledge and understanding of a multitude of both religious and non-religious beliefs, and to help them to understand both common and divergent views between different religions and faiths.

Schools should not teach religious education from a selective and exclusive viewpoint. Religious studies should involve education on religion, and not religious instruction. This would preserve the integrity of the education system and at the same time ensure young people'€™s religious freedom.

Sustainable social and economic development, social inclusion and democratization. Poverty and lack of participation often provide a breeding ground for radicalism. Socioeconomic development, social inclusion and fair, democratic systems appear compelling as an effective antidote.

Today'€™s students will become constructive agents of change in their societies if they understand the facts behind sustainable development and the challenge of their societies.

Better integration of socially inclusive development dimensions in our school curricula will encourage students to use their creativity to improve the conditions of humankind.

Humanism and spirituality. Education is worthless if it fails to promote humanity. Education is all about growth, being human and connecting with humanity. Humanism teaches people to rely on logic, wisdom, reason, knowledge, respect, tolerance and empathy.

This promotes intellectual autonomy among students and enables them to learn about the broader range of ways in which humans have grappled with existential questions.

A strong humanist education can train students to place human beings and other living species at the center of their moral outlook, and promote the championing of human rights for everyone. Spirituality can train our students to find inner peace, harmony, emotional stability and balance in life.

Teacher development. High quality education requires qualified teachers without influence from or bias toward any ideology, whether religious or political. They are the key actors in promoting understanding and tolerance.

Teachers need to be aware of the existing divisive tendencies of radicalism. Schools also need to invest more to better enable the teachers to monitor the mental health and well-being of the students and, if needed, to provide timely support.

Historical perspectives. Teaching our students about successful non-violent movements that were decisive in developing a harmonious world order should be prioritized. Lessons from history of people like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela can be very motivational for the future leaders of our societies. This should also include examples of failed radicalism.

Home environments and the role of parents. There are studies indicating that radicalization in some cases may start at home, often unconsciously by parents who want to raise their children with certain faiths and morals.

This may clash directly with what the students are exposed to at school and in public places, which may create confusion leading to an identity crisis.

Society at large has to enable an environment to help the parents so that they can support their children'€™s mental development.

Employability. Globalization and access to information has led urbanized, undereducated and unemployed youth to make comparisons across countries. This has led to increased frustration, victimization and humiliation. Improving educational standards without increasing prospects of employment, or
providing jobs without creating outlets for political and social participation, creates a combustible mix in society.

The growing number of educated but unemployed youth in many regions is particularly alarming. It is, after all, the educated youth who have the highest political aspirations and expectations, and thus, it is they who are the most frustrated when their expectations are not met.

The growth of unemployment among the educated often creates a class of '€œfrustrated achievers'€ who may end up being radicalized, seeking any cause to hang on to. The education system needs to provide relevant education so that the graduates are attractive in the job market or can become job creators.

The root causes of radicalism are extremely complex and multifaceted. Any simplification and desire for a quick solution will fail. A single-minded focus on state actors, ideologies, counter-intelligence and military solutions will also fail. Only a long-term and multi-pronged strategy, aimed at strengthening the institutional underpinnings of development, democracy and humanism will achieve effective results. Such a strategy will have to take into consideration the role of education.

Radicalism is often a precursor to terrorism and focusing on radicalism amounts to preventing terrorism at an earlier stage, before it is too late for non-coercive measures. Success against radicalism will ultimately not depend on winning wars but in promoting non-military policies that strengthen the institutional underpinning of human development in the world.