Functional Education

KOMPAS/DIDIE SW

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If we look at the reality of our education at various levels in a number of regions today, discussing it in the context of the 21st century or the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era seems to be in the air.

It talks about internet of things, big data, artificial intelligence, robotics technology, cyber university, responsive, innovative and adaptive educators. Meanwhile, we know that so many fundamental things in our education are apprehensive, out of the ordinary, and certainly not "standardized".

The fragile school/campus buildings in a narrow alley with makeshift facilities, the teachers/lecturers who are unenthusiastic (academically), with a minimum salary/allowance, a system that is not yet steady and volatile, as well as educational management leaders and bureaucrats who care less about progress, like to politicize, and are fixated on "projects", are the real situation of our education in the midst of invigorating issues about the future.

Is information about future trends not important and should they be ignored? Not really. Global cultural development is the inevitable reality and its predictions are most likely to occur because it is not free from the law of causality. The Industrial Revolution 1.0 in the 18th century, for example, was a continuation of the scientific revolution that occurred in the 17th century, while the scientific revolution itself in Europe was a development from the past, namely the renaissance and aufklarung.

Therefore, various information about the 21st century and Industrial Revolution 4.0 needs attention, but it is not the main reason or goal in making policies that can even keep national education away from its goals.

National education must be run contextually and functionally. It means that the operationalization of education must be based on the Constitution, situation, reality and needs of the nation. Not on the charm and fantasy of the global (outside) world, which is considered advanced, but far from our reality.

Our education must be rooted in the aspirations and needs of the supporting community, which socially culturally and in its natural environment are different. Therefore, the values of citizenship (good citizens), employment (good workers), and humanity values (good human/whole human/perfect human beings), that are to be produced by education in various dimensions, are also different. Therefore, our education world does not need to simply imitate developed countries in responding to various developments in the world today.

Promoting national education is not just a matter of how to digitize or use a variety of sophisticated technologies as learning tools. It is not just replacing chalk and blackboard with a remote control and screen/slide. More than that, it is how the learning process can "modernize" the mind so that students are able to think computationally (computational thinking), which allows them to later solve complex life problems in a more rational, precise and effective manner.

Therefore, even though we are very late to realize it, learning that develops the ability to think/reason (at a high level), besides being very important, is the demand of our constitution.

Educate and think high

Our education world  at present is just to be aware, then talk wildly about "higher order thinking skills -- hots" from Benjamin Bloom\'s taxonomy, which is popularized by developed countries. Then it witnesses the weakness of our students\' abilities in hots as shown by various assessment results such as PISA and TIMSS.

In a dimly situation, it is realized that our education practices have not created intellectuality in the real sense. As a result, it appears that the intellectual, moral and practical qualities are often disproportionate and not functional in our daily lives.

It is an ironic reality in that a nation whose founders from the beginning included "educating the life of the nation" as one of the goals of the country, but its education process does not make the nation\'s children brighter, have better mindfulness, and therefore not more prosperous than its predecessor.

It happens because this nation in its development conducts an outward looking too much and does not get used to appreciating and starting from what it has so that the mandate of the constitution, various concepts, cultural wealth and natural wealth are not adequately elaborated. It is only in shock, whenever something emerges from and claimed by other nations.

The "intelligence" that is thought by the fathers of the nation is certainly not just sophism, like most of remarks by the officials today, but arises from an in-depth understanding of human philosophy and the important role of human intelligence as the basis for controlling nation and state life.

So important is intelligence for life, the nation\'s founders did not even choose sentences, for example,  "increasing faith and piety as well as noble character" or "building character" as Indonesia\'s human development mission in an independent sphere. They possibly understood that enlightenment of reason is the substance for the formation of religious attitudes, character, progress, and dignity of the nation in the future.

Therefore, the education that has been developed in this country should have always been the one that glorifies common sense, develops reason in the context of "being us". For this reason, the educational institution should be inclusive, which allows a nation to develop with the power, ability and intelligence that exists in the nation itself and not because of an outside force (Ignas Kleden, Kompas, 15/5/208).

Dialogic learning

Inclusive education is education that is responsive to the diversity of characteristics and needs of children as well as the needs of the community/supporting nation. Children in their existence are

creatures full of potential (homo potens), who develop dynamically according to the environmental conditions that surround them. Howard Gardner (1983) mentioned the existence of multiple intelligence, which one or several of which are owned by children. Therefore, teachers and schools in learning, besides in the general things, are required to pay attention to and facilitate the development of potentials of the students individually.

Development of intelligence potential in various dimensions must be based on the ability to think or reason. Therefore, dialogical learning needs to be presented in our classrooms and schools. Article 1 Paragraph (1) of National Education System Law No. 20 of 2003 has also defined education primarily as an effort to condition the atmosphere and process.

A learning atmosphere and process that is dialogical is important because students are appreciated by given with a space to articulate their thoughts and feelings through words in addition to growing the price and confidence needed in communicating. According to some classical theories (Plato and Aristotle) and the modern one (JB Watson and Ludwig Wittgenstein) that between thinking and using languages has mutually reinforcing interrelations. Dialogue and arranging expressions in using the languages can mean sharpening and constructing the mind. "Language is founded on the mind," said Wittgenstein.

Although it seems simple, dialogical learning is not easy to apply by the teachers/lecturers because it demands a sense of independence, an open attitude, the art of listening, and high level of patience. Meanwhile, our educators are still like a single ruler who is more to be heard and sensitive to the different behaviors of the students.

It requires not only skills in didactic-methodical modification and teaching techniques but more than that, namely changes in philosophy, growth mindset, and other esoteric factors of personality that drive the performance of teachers and lecturers. Besides the educator competence -- specifically personality competence as an operational basis for pedagogy and profession -- the key to national education to be more functional is contextual policies with the mission, situation and needs of the nation/state.

Mohammad Abduhzen, Adviser at Paramadina Institute for Education Reform, University of Paramadina; chairman of Research and Development of the Executive Board of PGRI