IS RELIGION EDUCATION TOO THEORETIC?

Reading the news yesterday, the government of Yogyakarta to improve religious education that is considered too theoretical and focused on memorizing so it is not able to rectify the students’ moral, I mused. Is religion education really too theoretical, so it has no impact on the improvement of students' morals?
When I was a boy, and when I and my friends always learnt and slept in the mosque, we had been given a sermon by religious teachers that religious knowledge is compulsory for both men and women of Islam. The obligation is still valid since childhood until to be buried in the graveyard.
Our religious teachers also stated that the Prophet Muhammad was sent to edify. He gave the example of educating the first to his companions before he ordered them to act for the good. And, in this way, he successfully edify.
So, I think, if religion education currently is assessed as not able to edify because too focused on the memorizing, I do not concur. The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, the teachings of morals are written in hadeeth, the hadeeth had been checked the authenticity by great ulama’. From the hadeeth Moslems learn to have a noble. The divine words by the Prophet is the source of noble character. Therefore, the hadeeth are indeed must be memorized so they can be embedded in the heart and can be implemented in the act. In addition, those hadeeth again can be taught to others. By memorizing and conveying the hadeeth, we act as if we are "mouthpieces" of the Prophet.
In accordance with my religious teachers who taught at the surau many years ago, according to my opinion, the reason of the students’ moral degradation is because they do not have role models of what have been taught to them. In the text, they get something that is ideal. However, in reality, they found the opposite. Therefore, they do not deem the teachings as a source of moral value but only as information. As a donkey hauling books written in them knowledge.
The best, students need to get an environment which they can follow in implementing the noble character. The environment where they live, their teachers, should be able to become a good example. Without that, although the method of learning is replaced with something that is considered the best, it is difficult to see significant improvements to the morals of our students.

INSPIRING

Before I read LASKAR PELANGI, I had read TOTTO CHAN, THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW. These two books tell us about teachers, bu Mus and Mr. Kobayashi, who inspired their students to study better and finally find the success. I conclude that one thing that can change education better is inspiring teachers.

INTERNET OR NEWSPAPER?

Newspaper no longer exists. Paper is more and more expensive; it affects the price of newspaper. Since the paper is made of wood, this will also bear new problem – global warming. So, to record information digitally is the answer of the next era.
But although so, the reality is not all people like the digital record. Sitting and reading news from computer screen will cause eyes strain. This is not comfortable for some people. So, of course, in the future they still want the information printed on papers.
If it is said that newspaper is just waiting for the time to disappear, it’s not one hundred percent true.

TEACHER FOR THE JUNGLE CHILDREN

I knew her about five years ago from a shred of a newspaper. The picture told me that the thin girl teaching the jungle children was a tough and soft girl all at once. Now, although I am sure it is not her purpose, she becomes more popular. Certainly you know her.
Saur Marlina Manurung or famously known as Butet Manurung, a girl who was born on February 21st, 1972 in Jakarta is a scholar of anthropology and Indonesian literature of Padjadjaran University. Her intelligence of course can bring her to a good job. But that she is. She built SOKOLA RIMBA in 1999, in the jungle of Jambi, a school for the jungle children. According to her, anyone must get education, even children who live in the jungle.
She teaches the children reading, writing and counting. Her neighbors, except the children, are mosquitoes, frogs and the silent. But, “This is what I want. I like interacting with the nature. Moreover, I don’t look for money. I look for work.”
Go Butet, Go.

PAPUA NEEDS MORE TEACHERS

”Teachers of primary and middle school are concentrated in big city. If the city school has twenty teachers, the village school just has one teacher. This condition causes frailness of primary and middle education in Papua.” This was said by Papua governor, Barnabas Suebu,SH.
Papua needs more teachers. Who wants fly there for this purpose?

FREE FROM PAYMENT

Indonesian Education Minister, Bambang Sudibyo, asked the schools no more collecting school fee from the students. Because next year the government will increase the schools grant so there is no reason for the school to coerce doing that.
That’s the rule. But can it be implemented? To implement the regulation is the hard things. Besides, the control often doesn’t run well. Just wait and see.

MAKE THEM AS MODELS, NOT RIVALS

We often meet somebody who cannot admit someone else’s achievement. Often, they hate them and think that they are menaces for them. They even don’t want to talk to them and they are grateful for the bad luck that hit them.
It is bad. When we make the success person as an enemy, as a rival, we actually limit our strength. We are busy with the hate and forget to upgrade our competence. The best way we can do to them is make them as models, not rivals.

FROG UNDER COCONUT SHELL

Yesterday night, finally, I arrived home after about six hours on the street from Malang, the city where I joined the English learning innovation competition. I prepared for the competition for about two weeks. I thought that I had done my best.
But that’s the reality. I lost the competition. My rivals, two from Malang and one from Tuban, won the competition
Once, I felt I was the best. But the reality is I am the frog under coconut shell.