Parents and teachers must build good communication with children as one of the ways to prevent children from violent acts.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Parents have a significant role in building children's character and turning them into persons with integrity and noble character, an education expert from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Prof. Agus Sartono has said.

"Parents play a big role in building children's character. Therefore, home or family must become the main and first school for children," he remarked when contacted on Saturday.

Sartono, who is a former deputy for the coordination of education quality improvement and religious moderation at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, said that efforts to build children's character must be made early.

"Parents must give the right parenting so that children can grow as persons that have a good character, have good community spirit, have faith, and are also pious," he expounded.

Besides parents, schools also play a key role in building children's character, he said.

"It can even start from early childhood education. This stage is crucial in building children's character. In supporting children's character-building in schools or madrasas (Islamic schools), teachers have a really central role," he added.

He also highlighted the need for the active role of parents and teachers in monitoring children’s access to the Internet or social media.

"Assistance is needed to protect children from the possibility of accessing violent content because violent content is feared to affect children's character development," the expert said.

He further said that parents and teachers must continuously provide education regarding the importance of loving and respecting each other as well as having empathy.

"Parents and teachers must build good communication with children as one of the ways to prevent children from violent acts," he said.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is pushing for the strengthening of character education as part of the National Movement of Mental Revolution (GNRM).

The ministry's acting deputy for the coordination of children, women, and youth's quality improvement, Didik Suhardi, said that the push is in accordance with Presidential Regulation Number 87 of 2017 on the Strengthening of Character Education.

He informed that the government, through educational units, is continuing to make various strategic efforts to support children's character-strengthening programs.



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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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