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In front of their friends and parents,
the education specialist called the students one-by-one. Every student
got a five or 10 minute healing procession. Acting like a hypnotist, or
more precisely, like a traditional shaman, he began by asking each of
them to repeat what he recited, which comprised Islamic sacred words
arranged in a random order.
After making sure of each student’s mesmerization, he started to
investigate (or make the students confess), asking questions about the
mistakes they committed — mainly related to the preparations for the
upcoming national exams — and making them pledge not to repeat the
mistakes again and to better themselves in the future.
In a normal situation, when there is no pressure such as the obligation
to pass the National Exams, I would not be sure that the students would
willingly follow the above practice.
First, public interrogation in front of friends, parents and other
spectators is actually an embarrassment. This would be even more keenly
felt by teenagers, who often feel awkward among their friends or other
people.
Second, while some or many of them seemed to accept the practice, we
should be aware of behavioral deviation phenomena, such as masochism or a
feeling of excitement when a person is physically or psychologically
abused.
At the same time, recalling the fact that
our children are mentally socially constructed to a certain extent, we
must be more critical with the emerging “religious” practice at almost
all schools called muhasabah, or retreat, which is intended to make them
better prepared before the National Exams.
Listening to their answers of why they went on retreat, many of the
students have said that they would be able to answer exam questions more
easily because they were the hands of God.
Many think that it can be an instant way out of their laziness problem or
learning disorders.
In fact, we know, positive knowledge of science, math, or languages can
only be acquired through learning, reasoning and experiencing. The
knowledge is not implanted because of the mercy of God because of their
piety.
Many of the students, as well as their teachers, think that a long and
often painful process of learning is not necessary; that relentless
effort will eventually surrender to the iron fist of fortune. Or else,
they are made believe that the process is less necessary than the end
result. Consequently, dishonesty materializes in form of shortcuts such
as cheating or teachers helping their students to pass the exams
illegally.
To this point, while the concept of the National Exams is not wrong, the
practices that have evolved before and after their implementation are.
On one hand, the process is intended to ensure a quality education for
all Indonesian children. Yet on the other hand, the process lends itself
to the assassination of logical and reasoning ability in students.
Back to the story of the education shaman. We have to mention that the
National Exams are a blessing for him. He can enjoy more money than what
is received by an ordinary teacher in a month.
He need only memorized a few sacred words, possess a rhetoric ability and
build connections with school principals.
The shaman would never think that the parents have to pay more than their
ordinary tuition fees because of the preparations for the National Exams
— a fund-raising practice that has been prohibited.
It is simply because they think like real businessmen without sufficient
empathy for the suffering of the others.
Talking to some teachers, I promised that I would never let my children
experience the practice. I believe that once sound minds are interfered
with by illogical or unreasonable activities, they might lose their
passion to learn and experience normally.
Similarly, their consciences will be trimmed down gradually once they are
accustomed to enjoying instant or effortless success.
Students who have been forced to do unreasonable things by the people who
fear their own failures should have a forgiving heart. Forget the
embarrassing public confession and do not let it linger your memory. Just
believe in yourself and never compromise your integrity. ●
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