Creativity key to ‘mental revolution’ A Chaedar Alwasilah  ;   A professor of education and applied linguistics at the Indonesia University of Education (UPI), Bandung; A recipient of, among others, the 2014 Cultural Award from the Bandung Mayor; The contributor on educational and cultural issues passed away on Dec. 9

JAKARTA POST,  12 Desember 2014

                                                                                                                       

In his first presidential speech on Oct. 20, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reiterated the importance of developing the national culture. We are often reminded that from our ancestors we inherit a set of cultural values — which are often overlooked for pragmatic reasons. Take the maritime spirit demonstrated by our ancestors. According to President Jokowi, we have left the maritime spirit and vision behind. Evidently we are not capable of controlling our own waters, which constitute 70 percent of our nation’s territory. In his brief speech Jokowi introduced his “mental revolution”, an outline that still needs elaboration, and which should be used as a conceptual frame for policymaking at all ministerial levels. All ministers in his Cabinet and their bureaucratic lineup are expected to translate the President’s mental-revolution program. To revive the maritime spirit, every citizen is expected to be creative in his or her own capacity, which is different from being educated. Educated people with high academic degrees are not necessarily creative. Creativity in individuals requires a collective effort to develop a mental-revolution program that scholars say is a set of thoughts, knowledge and ideas that together constitute a conceptual frame of reference as a guide for action. In his book, Cultural Transformation, Jeff Cartwright lists seven attributes of a creative culture, comprising attitude, motivation, personality, talent, knowledge, method and creativity. All of these attributes develop over years and are the end results of quality education. It is the teachers’ job to develop and sustain these attributes in their students. Among others, it is important to develop a good attitude toward our own culture. Schoolchildren should be exposed to a variety of indigenous cultures as early as possible. Music and dances taught at school, for example, are not only entertaining but also educational. Motivation is the actual energy that drives individuals to move toward a desired particular direction. Great ideas are finally measured through action, which would never take place unless individuals are highly motivated. The maritime vision echoed by Jokowi is undeniably a great idea that should be instilled in children as well as college students. They should be taught how to love and to explore the sea. As a nation we develop our own personality that is our inner values and ability, and freedom. In any culture, education passes these values from generation to generation. In other words, our living values determine our personality as a nation. Teachers should realize that all schoolchildren are born with multiple talents with the potential for achievement in some field. Often a student’s talent is not developed because of teachers’ inappropriate method of teaching. The extent to which talent is realized depends on the circumstances, training, and education. Schools and campuses are expected to create these supportive conditions so that their talent is developed to the full, honed through pedagogically sound techniques. Students’ skills should be studied to bring out their talent. Our knowledge determines how we relate to the world and how we develop creativity. To enable us to control our own maritime territory, we need to have a body of knowledge about the ocean, including fisheries, oceanography, shipping, naval communication and technology, and so forth. We still lack human resources with these expertise and therefore we are not fully creative in managing and exploring the sea. It is time universities in the eastern parts of the country nearer to less watched waters should be developed with specializations in these fields. Method follows knowledge. Methods help us develop plans so the goal is set and creativity is measured accordingly. All types of engineering, the best example of method, are relevant and useful for exploring the sea. Of the seven attributes, it is knowledge and method that are acquired attributes essential for successful innovation in developments. And the greater the effort made to be creative, the more satisfying the end result. ●