There are plenty of reasons to be grateful for this nation. One of them is the fact that we are blessed with an abundance of young people that are creative, imaginative and filled with a burning spirit of life. It is truly ridiculous for anyone to think that such a blessed nation is heading toward oblivion, as some national figures have been saying in recent months.
For months, our logic and common sense have been bludgeoned mercilessly by the unnecessary conflicts between so-called kampret (bats), kecebong (tadpoles) and God knows what else. It gets even more saddening when terrible comments that lack logic and dignity fill social media.
Because of this, we almost believe that our youths are petty and severely lacking in logic and the awareness to live a dignified life. Through their obscene lust for power, our politicians have truly destroyed the beauty of Nusantara’s youth.
In such despair, I found an oasis one day. At our school (SMA Pangudi Luhur Don Bosko high school in Semarang, Central Java), students held an arts event. Creativity abounded. Teachers and students worked together to create various performances. Under the theme of “From Heritage to Millennial Style”, their ideas were just brilliant.
I say that what they showed was brilliance. They performed the classic tale of Dewi (Goddess) Songgolangit. They told the tale with creative contemporary arts such as dances and band and choir performances. I imagine that the creators of the arts event were working hard to provide a space so that millennials could preserve noble local wisdom in contemporary ways.
That day, I witnessed how contemporary creativity was given its proper space. They placed their diverse creations within the framework of the classic Dewi Songgolangit tale. The series of creative performances formed a beautiful symphony that played like an orchestra. It was a classical performance that felt fresh in the youths’ eyes.
At the arts event, I saw so many young people with an undying spirit of life. It was just one school. Several of our schools, including those in the remote regions of West Kalimantan like Tanjung and Tumbang Titi, often create similar events, in which students always enthusiastically display their creativity.
At this point, we need to realize at least two things. First is that this country is blessed with an abundance of youths with unique spirits and creativity. Second is that what they need is the space and time (in other words opportunity) to manifest that divine gift.
Within the context of plural Indonesia, one of educators’ main duties is to ensure that our youths have the opportunity to explore their talents. Another important note: education must create such opportunities in fair ways. This is how we can implement “social justice for all Indonesians” in education. Education based on social justice should be no different than an orchestra.
When opportunities for self-expression in education are not based on social justice, then this nation is truly trapped in spiritual ignorance. We have failed to harness this divine gift to exalt and ennoble His name.
Education deliberately carried out without transparency or social justice truly sows disunity. Usually, this occurs due to the pettiness of educators based on paranoid suspicion and anxiety about this nation’s diversity. They do not realize that education is not only about the physical realm. Education is also about the soul.
When the soul is nurtured with the spirit of paranoid suspicion and anxiety, it will only make way for humans who are easily suspicious, emotional and destructive. Their conscience and wisdom are overwhelmed by their own ignorance.
As we are getting too tired over the mindless conflicts of “bats vs. tadpoles” and of political figures so desperate to take the stage for themselves, we deserve to ask: do these leaders with their paranoid suspicion and anxiety have any time to nurture us? Because of their obscene behavior, we cannot find the beautiful symphony of this nation’s orchestra.
Lastly, do not ever wish to foster social injustice in the educational system of this country if you do not wish for the country to collapse.
Sidharta Susila
Educator and Education Observation. Lives in Semarang
