Tainted Academic Freedom
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A lecturer colleague informed how his child, who is a freshmen at a state senior high school, was ordered to discuss the Flat Earth theory by his history teacher. He then disclosed that the teacher of his other child at a different senior high school said the issue of moving the capital city was closely related to political interests.
There are similar stories from another friend, from another school, where the religion teacher promoted hatred against state leaders in the classrooms. My friend saw how his child had grown to hate state leaders. Similar events have affected several school children and also university students in various places.
Misused freedom
Going unnoticed, schools or campuses, through teaching-learning activities, laboratory practices, and activities related to education, have been utilized by certain persons to spread ideas and thoughts that are not relevant to lesson materials. The ideas and thoughts as well as hatred have been directed to support certain groups. There are those who vulgarly encourage students to join certain groups to undermine the existence of Pancasila and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). In the name of academic freedom, lessons at school and campuses have been utilized by teachers and lecturers to spread questionable ideas, outside the plan of learning. In the long run, if this is not resolved, schools may become a fertile place to disseminate anti-NKRI teachings.
In the New Order Era, we frequently heard academics who demanded the right to express opinions freely, be given academic freedom and freedom of academic speech. In that era, such a demand was very relevant since the freedom of speech and opinion, which were different from the rulers, was limited and hindered. However, since the Reform Era, where the freedom for the citizens to express opinions is open, such a demand is no longer important. What is important is how the government and the people supervise the use of the academic freedom at schools and campuses by the lecturers and students so that it can be utilized responsibly in the framework of maintaining the unity of NKRI.
Since the 1998 Reform, the academic freedom has frequently been misused by dishonest lecturers, students, and also teachers to disseminate ideas and teachings outside the academic sphere. In a discussion of the Academic Senate Forum of a Legal Entity State University (PTN BH) in Bandung on July 13-14, which was attended by representatives of major state universities across the country, several facts were uncovered related to the spread of the teachings of radicalism at state campuses. Academic freedom and freedom of speech have been utilized inappropriately by certain persons and groups on campuses.
In general, university campuses, scientific assessment and development of knowledge and technology is frequently less dominant than religious assessment inserted with group messages. Such practice has taken place for years and even people who used to be students who were taught radical ideas now occupy certain structural positions at state universities. They have the potential to take part in spreading the radical teachings, hatred against other religious followers and against the government through the academic forums. The academic freedom and freedom of speech have been tainted by the acts of various dishonest persons and groups.
Academic freedom
Legally, the academic freedom, freedom of speech, and scientific autonomy in universities are guaranteed under Law No. 12 of 2012 on Universities. In Article 8 it is mentioned: (1) in implementing education and development of sciences and technology there exists the academic freedom, freedom of academic speech, and scientific autonomy, (2) the development of science and technology as meant on Paragraph (1) is carried out by civitas academica through learning and/or scientific studies by upholding religious values and unity of the nation for the advancement of civility and welfare of the people and (3) the implementation of academic freedom, freedom of academic speech, and scientific autonomy in universities constitutes the private responsibility of the civitas academica which has to be protected and facilitated by the university leadership.
The freedom of academic speech as meant in Article 8 paragraph (1) constitutes the authority of professors and/or lecturers who have academic control to speak openly and responsibly on something in connection with the scientific families and their scientific branches. The scientific autonomy as meant in Article 8 Paragraph (1) constitutes the autonomy of civitas academica on a scientific and/or technological branches in discovering, developing, disclosing, and/or maintaining the scientific truth according to the principles, scientific methods and academic cultures.
The academic freedom is also covered under Law No. 14/2005 on Teachers and Lecturers. In Article 75 of Law on Teachers and Lecturers, the academic freedom is confirmed. Paragraph 2 and 4 states, a lecturer is entitled to protection of the implementation of the lecturer\'s duty as a professional manpower against the limitation of academic freedom, freedom of speech, and scientific autonomy, as well as the other limitation/prohibition which can hinder the lecturer in carrying out the duty. From the regulation we can read that the academic freedom requires the upholding of religious values and unity of the nation. The freedom of academic speech is also required to be in line with the scientific authority and prestige as well as responsibility.
The dissemination of teachings against the government, anti-Pancasila and NKRI, and other radicalism, turns out to have taken place for a long time. Academic freedom and freedom of speech should not be used for objectives that endanger the unity of the nation. Through media mentoring attached to the religious subject, there are groups that systematically spread teachings, ideas and propaganda that can be categorized as radicalism. They invite others to join certain groups through the hands of the students. And the scientific autonomy belongs to certain people who really master sciences in certain fields that are acknowledged in the related science.
Spreading universal truth
A religious subject is usually taken in the first year of college. This has reportedly been regulated (by design) to target new students through classes, especially those from regions who come to big campuses with their innocence, for radicalism indoctrination. This method has apparently been quite successful.
The dissemination of material through the subject of religion is frequently used as a mode to spread ideas and teachings that are not neutral. Actually, the religious lessons should be filled activities that spread universal truth. Even if it brings religious propagation, it should not endanger the unity of the nation, Pancasila and the existence of NKRI. Without it, the religious teaching will become an activity which is vulnerable to be filled with group or political interests where the universal truth will be defeated by the intention to defend or direct to enter certain groups.
Actually the radicalism teaching is not only spread through the religious subject. There is a case where a lecturer of a state university taught a subject which was not related with the religious issues, but utilized the academic forum to spread concepts of certain mass organizations by presenting guests from outside who were not relevant to the subject. The existence of monitoring on teaching by checking the relevance between the content of learning and the plan is very important.
Lecturers are not allowed to give duties or materials outside the plans that have been prepared by a group of lecturers on certain subjects. Once in a while lecturers or teachers are allowed to give moral messages that motivate and inspire students.
Another fertile mode is the character education at student boarding houses. Frequently there are certain groups which target dwellers of the boarding houses to spread the radicalism teaching or follow political parties or certain mass organizations. The boarding houses are frequently out of the guidance of the campus\' student affair unit.
Alternatives for solution
One of the solution on the part of lecturers, there has to be strict regulations that lecturers or teachers are not allowed to bring political affairs of groups or religions to the classrooms. Even if they teach religious subject, the teachers or lecturers are not allowed to teach hatred against other religious followers. Group politics by inviting or directing students to join groups or support certain groups should not be brought by the lecturers or teachers to the classrooms or laboratories.
Religions should not be mixed up with the teaching of certain subjects. The teaching of the subject has to be objective. Teachers or lecturers have to teach politics of the nation to strengthen NKRI, nurture nationalism, and struggle for the interest of the nation. There is no partisan politics entering the campus. Leaders of the smallest units, like department heads or deans, have the important role to control this. Leaders in the low lever who face such cases also have to prioritize rationality, not feeling.
This regulation is important as a form that the education world, which highly upholds honesty and objectivity. Bringing the interest of certain mass organizations or political organizations or religions can wipe out the aspects of objectivity in teaching sciences and knowledge. This is what has to be avoided in the academic world.
Student guidance needs attention, especially in campus mosques, boarding houses, and also extracurricular activities. The attention should not be in a form of curb, but more on the stance of circumspection. The students have to learn much on how to organize and participate in art and sport activities to complement their hard skills.
Student activities outside the campus, which are grouped in HMI, GMNI, PMII, PMKRI, and others are actually good for the students to learn politics. Even though not allowed to enter the campus, the students can join and learn how to organize in one of the above-mentioned organizations. So far it turns out that these organizations even do not teach radicalism. Even though not all which are carried out are positive for the students, at least there they not taught the teaching of anti-Pancasila or anti-NKRI.
There is still much that can be narrated, developed and discussed by the lecturers with their students about science and technology, which are beneficial for the interest of human being in the academic forum, both in the classrooms, laboratory rooms, or mosques in campuses. There are still many universal examples which can be given to the students in the classrooms, academic forums of laboratory rooms, which can form the characters of the students to have a role to advance the nation. And that is what is needed by this nation.
BUDI SANTOSA
Professor of Industrial Engineering of ITS
