Suppress Education

By: Rinto Tampubolon
"Education is liberating and empowering students is education which students can listen to voice their genuine. Teaching and allowing them to hear their own voice rather than a voice from the outside including the voices of educators." (Paulo Freire)

A few days ago, a group discussion we discussed about the demise of the student movement on campus. We picked this topic to be discussed because the campus really see how the potential leaders of nations that produce qualified. In fact, the national leaders in this nation was born from the movement of students, including our founding fathers, Sukarno-Hatta.

A speaker of this discussion to analyze the multiple causes of death of the movement of students who currently purely based on his observations on his campus. He sees a drastic change from the student movement began to range in 1998 (the reform era) until this year (post-reform).

When the reform era, the student movement at the climax of the action, which is capable of doing the resistance movement together with the community and politicians to oppose the regime of oppression (late) at the time of Suharto. Students then become the motor that drives every element of society to rise against the oppressors. But now, the student movement into a movement of passive, pragmatic and opportunistic. Many of the student movement, which even became ruler of the state nor compromise on campus. Student movement even used as a tool for students ripple reducer critical.

Students Nirnasionalis

No doubt, the behavior of current students, consciously or unconsciously-formed into an ignorant, selfish, pragmatic, hedonic, opportunistic and nirnasionalis. Mental nationalism and integrity are influenced by the swift currents of globalization. In our discussion of observation presenters, he says "when viewed in a class that contains the student number of 40 people, then 15 people will talk about a brand new HP laptop, 10 people will talk about his status on facebook social networking, 10 people will talk about given task lecturers, four people will tell you about their lover. Stay a person who thinks about the destruction of this nation and how to build it. "

This behavior is very dangerous for the students as future leaders of the nation. Even a threat to the changes that had been envisioned. Amidst the many problems this nation, should the student become a person who prepares himself to take part in the change itself. Very paradox!

Yet, oddly enough though the government is deliberately looking at the condition, marked by the enactment of curriculum that castrating the rights of students to organize. Students are now burdened with the task demands that always pile up every day. Not only that, the semester credit system (SKS) has also been packaged so that every student is forced to quickly complete the lecture.

At first glance, this policy is considered good because every student can become a scholar in a short time. But, without our knowing it, in fact the government is to produce graduates who "defect" critical power. Students also are aware of a student who "tamed" to the party despite the imposed unjustly rectorate with sepihaknya policy. Kongkretnya example, although the tuition at the University of North Sumatra rose 100 percent, but students who want to feel rejected demonstrating the increase was only about 200 people from the number of students around tens of thousands of people. In fact, the Student Executive Body (BEM) can not do anything about it. Student movements had been "toothless" now. The activists, many of which take the profit (Opportunity) of any problems.

Recurring history

However, this condition can not be separated from the history of this nation. It is true what bung Karno warned that "history will be repeated, so you should never forget history."

In the colonial era, the student activists into "brain" of the freedom that we now feel. Starting from the birth of Budi Utomo, the emergence of Ki Hajar Tara Council, until the father proclaimer we are all students who are nationalists, critically and with integrity. Even in his book "Why sue Indonesian Education", M. Yamin told that the new order era, Sukarno, Indonesia's education building by establishing universities that gave birth to the nation of thinkers and builders of that period. Sukarno realized then, that education will produce leaders of character that the nation can finally build this nation.

But halfway through, Suharto make education a tool of power. The scholars are "insane" positions will be worn, but the student activists who criticize its policies are wrong, promptly eliminated. It's common knowledge, that has a lot of people who disappeared during the reign of a new order. Ironic indeed.

As a result, today's generation is born a weak and a loser mentality. Student movements confined to revolutionary change. Systems like this are the remains of a new order system that uses education as a tool of power. Authorities (government and rectorate) feel calm if there is no demonstration that those who reject the unilateral policy. On the contrary, will be furious if they see the student protests in the streets or on campus who reject the rotten policies.

Educational Style Bank

Such oppressive style of education that Freire is defined as "bank-style education." Freire's contemporaries who criticized the government of repression by educating people to become subject to the government. Teachers become a tool of government to provide lessons that are not critical to the students, so that the knowledge students have never exceeded the teacher. And Freire rate "bank-style education" as one who cemented his source of oppression and silence (Esni.N).

Our education even when this is exactly what Freire formulated in a "bank-style education" is. The government still does not want people aware and critical. Rectorate party was also in a university still wants his students to be students who are passive and uncritical. Authorities still want us all to sleep soundly in our oppression be smooth.

Finally, I can conclude that our current education is still an oppressive education. It's not a free education, which produce the next generation is thirsty for change and love of the homeland. Alas, alas, my country. ***

The writer is a student majoring in English Language and Literature Unimed, Concern Campus Administrators Discussion Group, and was active in the parchment.
(analisadaily.com)