The Republic of Indonesia today needs character education because this country has moved far without the guidance of noble character. Character education is important because it determines the quality of Indonesian people who have a noble character, noble personality and love of truth. This is the provision for advancing the republic in the future.
This was stated by scholar Sukidi in the Second Panel of the XII Pancasila Congress entitled Moral Reflections on the Actualization of Pancasila in National and State Life, which was held by the Center for Pancasila Studies, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Thursday (26/9).
Regarding the importance of this character, the two founders of the nation, Soekarno-Hatta, added Sukidi, have reminded us through expressions nation and character building and ‘the basis of all character education is the love of truth’.
“The foundations instilled by the two founding fathers of the nation are important as a common guideline to ward off the bad and cunning character displayed brutally by state administrators who have the potential to destroy the Republic due to the loss of public virtue (public virtue),” said Sukidi.
The alumnus of Harvard University, United States, believes that poverty and social inequality can be overcome with education that is carried out seriously. For him, poverty occurs not solely because of very low income, but because of a lack of human freedom (lack of human freedom), as stated by the 1998 Nobel Prize winner in Economics, Amartya Sen.
With freedom, a person is believed to be able to develop capabilities and maximize social opportunities to escape poverty and achieve progress. Character education, stressed Sukidi, is able to guide the republic to be managed with a spirit of meritocracy, which provides space for every individual with intellectual abilities and skills to achieve success. “The story of developed countries is a story of meritocracy. “It is impossible for a nation to progress if it is pursued through nepotism,” he said.
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Ironically, according to Sukidi, in this Republic a spirit of kakistocracy is now growing, with the appearance of state administrators who are incompetent and morally bad. He emphasized that the spirit of meritocracy is important to uphold as a basic principle because it is able to guarantee equality for all citizens based on ability.
Sukidi also emphasized the importance of fostering character education that provides example, empathy, sympathy and a spirit of respect for others, which must start from the family.
Another principle that is believed to be able to re-establish Indonesia, continued Sukidi, is the principle of seeing every individual as equal (equal human being). With this principle, people should not be differentiated based on their social status, but rather determined by the quality of their character.
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“Because, we are born equal, become citizens of the same and equal country, and have the right to be treated fairly and equally. This is the hope of the nation’s children to achieve a noble life and success in the future,” he stressed.
The Second Panel Discussion of the Pancasila Congress was attended by diversity thinker Sukidi, professor of constitutional law at the Islamic University of Indonesia, Mohammad Mahfud MD, and professor of sociology at Muhammad University of Yogyakarta, Zuly Qodir. The discussion was guided by Gadjah Mada University lecturer, Sartika Intaning Pradhani. (X-10)
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