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strong>Nov. 26, p. 2

The Education and Culture Ministry and the House of Representatives Commission X on education and youth affairs have agreed that the new curriculum for 2013 will focus on the building of students’ character.

Although the commission has yet to approve the draft by the ministry, chairman Agus Hermanto said the new curriculum would consist mostly of civic education, history and religion.

“Many have raised the issue and suggested that we should improve our character building, through religious education, and the four pillars of democracy,” Agus told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He was referring to Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

Your comments:

I send my children to school to learn, not pray.

They learn English and science at a private school, away from the lazy unprofessional government system.

Real history cannot be taught because the government hides the real truth of the nation and will never fess up to their grim and bloody past.

How can the pillars of democracy be taught when the government cannot endorse the principles of
democracy?

Sanna

If there are issues of character building they won’t be solved by these measures.

The article mentions teachers who are corrupt, but the country should also look at other adults who are bad examples for children — government ministers, politicians, police, the military and business people.

Best thing would be to move against all of them and shoot the main offenders starting at the top and that will be a wonderful character building exercise for the young.

Walter John Gomm

Well I think it’s a good time for businesses/freelance tutors to offer science courses for kids. If I had kids, I would have taught them science at home during this ridiculous time.

I’d like to make a suggestion for parents, please don’t let their curiosity die out.

Inspire their critical thinking, even encouraging questions such as “why is the moon gone during the day” or the cliché “why is the sky blue” can be very beneficial for their development.

Seriously, too much nonsense can mess with your brain, true experience.

Nindya

If House Commission X approves the new curriculum with civic education, history and religion the main stay of our children’s education it will create a sure recipe for our inability to compete in the world.

Perhaps the idea is to look only inward (as the Chinese did during their “cultural revolution”) and not nurture young brains into thinking and creating but slavishly follow the mantras of developmental regression.

Henry Manoe