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V stations have reported various improper actions by students such as brawls, drug use and other street crimes.

Many of the students also don't care about the interests and fates of other people as they disturb people in public places. Even worse, incidents are increasing.

What's wrong with this country? What has the government, particularly the Education and Culture Ministry, done to build the character of students?

In response the ministry launched the crash program on character building but I doubt that the program will be successful.

How could we change the characters of people in only a few lessons?

I suggest the Education and Culture Ministry create a more natural program, such as community service for the students of senior high school.

In a program such as this, students will get concrete experience in skills like helping each other and they would be given practical experience about empathy and sympathy.

Students, for example, would be given experience in orphanages or homes for the elderly with the hope that they would know that there are many people less fortunate than themselves.

There, students could learn how to be sincere and kind. Hopefully, such a program would be able to change the bad character of our younger generation; giving them a positive personality change and behavior modification.

Such a community service could become a mandatory program for all students of senior high schools.

Aries Musnandar
Malang, East Java