There will be at least 1,233,750 characters of teachers. It does not matter, as long as the characteristics bring a good impression, because a good impression will bring good influence on our pupils' attitude and emotionJakarta (ANTARA) - Teachers must gain the respect of students by making a good impression and setting an example for them, according to an official of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
Of the 1,827,116 primary and junior high school teachers in Indonesia, 1,233,750 were primary school teachers whose personal character would be closely observed by pupils, coordinator for the ministry's Working Group for Learning Transformation, Nita Isaeni, pointed out during an online discussion on Tuesday.
"There will be at least 1,233,750 characters of teachers. It does not matter, as long as the characteristics bring a good impression, because a good impression will bring good influence on our pupils' attitude and emotion," she added.
She further said that teachers need to work more to address the low academic ranking of Indonesian students in the 2000–2018 period, as reflected by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
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In the assessment, Indonesia placed 72nd out of 77 countries in reading, 72nd out of 78 countries in mathematics, and 70th out of 78 countries in science. Meanwhile, in the non-academic sphere, 41 percent of Indonesian pupils were recorded as victims of bullying, surpassing the 23 percent average, the ministry team head expounded.
"Allegedly, students who experienced bullying have their score lower by 21 points in reading. They will experience sadness, fear, and a lack of satisfaction. They will also be inclined to skip school," she said.
Meanwhile, only 29 percent of Indonesian pupils agreed that intelligence can be changed significantly, which was lower than the OECD average of 63 percent, even though students with a growth mindset would have higher reading skills and better outlooks and personalities, she added.
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"This is something that we can change. Perhaps, our solution is by publishing the Teacher's Profile book, which would inspire school teachers, particularly primary school teachers, to self-introspect and (change themselves) to become an admired figure for our pupils," the ministry official said.
As children have their own inherent abilities, teachers have the role of honing the children's skills to help them grow with better personalities, attitudes, and characters, she added.
"(Indonesian education pioneer) Ki Hajar Dewantara also explained that those who could educate our people are those among our own because education is closely related to culture. It emphasized that education is essential and is the place to nurture human values, as well as characters and cultures that must be continued by our children," Isaeni remarked.
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Translator: Suci Nurhaliza, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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