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Civics education: On the brink of a moral crisis?

With the lack of trust among students in the government or political elites, students are not able to draw the connection to what they are learning in school to the reality of the country. 

Sherine Hassan (The Jakarta Post)
Melbourne
Sat, May 8, 2021

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Civics education: On the brink of a moral crisis?

“State principles only exist in books, not in practice,” says Kinan, a secondary student in one of Indonesia’s state schools as he describes his attitude toward civics education. At a young age, he seems to have acknowledged a gap between how the nation is portrayed in civics education and how it does not necessarily translate in practice. 

Civics education in the country is understood as Pendidikan Moral Pancasila (Moral Education by Pancasila) or Pendidikan Pancasila dan Kewarganegaraan (Pancasila and Citizenship Education). The term itself envelopes the importance of moral principles among Indonesian students.

However, despite national policies mandating civics in educational institutions, the words of Kinan can be seen as a sounding cry from our next generation, one that questions the relevance of civics education and whether or not the country can truly move on from the ceremonial “learning for the sake of memorizing” in favor of a more practical well-rounded measure. 

The development of civics education was prevalent during Soeharto’s New Order, where it was utilized as a tool for national cohesion and as a method to further consolidate centralized power of the government. Its pedagogy was repetitive and formal, ample material that can be used to indoctrinate students.

However, the Reform Era dismantled this concept, opening the doors for autonomy and a more democratic approach. This allows teachers to utilize various teaching methods in yielding the aim of civics education, thus cultivating a more progressive approach in the teachings of moral principles to promote nationalism and patriotism among students. 

Even with greater autonomy that teachers have to curate a more customized form of civics education, credibility and confidence within curriculum could only go so far if trust is low. The corruption cases entangling, among other public officials, former South Sulawesi governor Nurdin Abdullah and former social affairs minister Juliari Batubara during the COVID-19 pandemic, do not help the government instill the value of civics education. 

With the lack of trust among students in the government or political elites, students are not able to draw the connection to what they are learning in school to the reality of the country. Consequently, it leaves lessons from civics education as mere formality, as opposed to providing a deep insight on the development of nationalism and patriotism this nation urgently needs. 

Indeed, we are able to see the value of civics education to foster moral development and a sense of nationalism. Yet on the other hand, students continue to learn in the context of a corrupt society. 

It is important here to put an emphasis that teachers do not merely teach subjects, they teach people. Since civics education is a key subject in moral learning, and addressing our rights and moral obligation as citizens, we need to eliminate the traditional teaching method of civics education and replace it with a method that allows us to nurture students as future agents of change in society. This means to increase students’ positive attitude in civic participation, which is their active contribution to the well-being of the community and the country. 

Furthermore, a revisiting civics education curriculum is needed to understand what has to be revised in supporting teachers to facilitate students with active opportunities of learning. We may learn from Malaysia, where civics education is linked to civic participation. Within this instance, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad regulated the implementation of practical opportunities in their civics education curriculum in 2019. He emphasized that the implementation was also done outside of the classroom through projects conducted jointly with other ministries, government departments and NGOs to effectively teach students on how they can implement their civic knowledge directly for their society. 

The relevance of increasing students’ positive attitude in civics participation is amplified amidst the ravaging moral crisis in Indonesia. Providing the practical opportunities for students to exercise their civics knowledge will not only elevate their interest in the collective benefit of their society, but it also hones the necessary skills to orchestrate these changes despite the lack of moral examples in their immediate surroundings. 

Additionally, the condensed curriculum of civics education heavily relies on the textbook method of teaching is a challenge that Indonesian teachers continue to face. This restricts teachers in their methods of teaching, thus the quality of its outcome is not optimal. Teachers must be given freedom to creatively implement civics education, and teach in various methods that suit their students the most. If teachers are restricted in their practices to provide a learning environment within the context of their students’ way of learning the subject, learning becomes a one-way interaction, if not indoctrination.

Last, the role of the Agency for Pancasila Ideology Education (BPIP) in revitalizing the moral values of Pancasila among students is crucial. It is indeed necessary for education, culture and research and the BPIP to synergize on how civics education can effectively instill the moral values that are endorsed by Pancasila. Specifically, how can education provide students with fruitful opportunities to increase their civics participation based on the foundation of moral principles that this nation is built on.

The development of Indonesia’s Education Roadmap 2020-2035 provides an opportune moment for us to reflect on what is lacking in civics education and how we can improve it in a long-term and strategic way. Providing practical opportunities to increase civics participation is fundamental to address the moral crisis and the lack of moral examples in the Indonesian society. 

To close, Indonesia needs to decide whether it should sink or swim when it comes to civics education, is it ready to adapt or will it continue to become an archaic product of an old era.

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The writer is a master’s candidate in education, specializing in applied behavior analysis at Monash University.

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