Infiltration of Radicalism Values into Schools Through Three Doors

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Infiltration of radical values ​​into schools can enter through three doors, namely alumni, teachers, and school policies. This was revealed by the results of research conducted by the Maarif Institute on October 2 to 21, 2017.

The research entitled “Strengthening Student Executive Organization (OSIS) in Strengthening Diversity and Inclusive Life in Senior High Schools, and Islamic School Aliyah” was conducted on 40 schools as the research sample. At least 440 people were interviewed for the study.

“The infiltration of radicalism in schools enters through three doors, namely alumni, teachers, and school policies,” said the first sentence in the sub-chapter of the Contestation of Radicalism and Moderation in the research results incorporated into the Executive Summary of the Indonesian Convey Program.

It was explained there, for alumni, radicalism values ​​entered through extracurricular activities. For example, five of the six schools in the research sample in Surakarta were fostered by alumni who are members of Kriya Mandiri through recitation activities.

The second gap, namely the teachers, they indoctrinate inside and outside the classroom. One of the teachers in Cirebon, who was used as research material, understood that this country was a thagut. This was then conveyed to the students in the class.

In addition, due to the principal’s ignorance, based on this research, policies issued by schools often open the door wide for intolerant and radical groups to foster students in religious strengthening.

In the sub-chapter of Vulnerable Resistance, it is explained that the lack of understanding and awareness of schools about the map of radicalism movement weakens the resilience mechanism of school members in dealing with this. It was stated that until the research was published, there was no specific policy from the school to protect itself from the penetration of radical understandings and movements.

However, it was also stated that there were several schools that had implemented resilience mechanisms through the source filter and control system. In addition, some have implemented an early detection system.

Previously, the National Child Protection Commission (KPAI) criticized the education system and schools in Indonesia for not building sensitivity in the face of radicalism. KPAI Commissioner for Education Retno Listyarti said the Indonesian education system was not critical and did not build sharpness in thinking.

He gave an example that the suicide bomber in Surabaya, East Java, Dita Supriyanto (47 years) when he was in senior high school (SMA) had shown the seeds of radicalism by not wanting to have ceremonies, and was reluctant to respect the flag. However, he said, such an attitude was allowed by the school.

“That shouldn’t happen at school. If at that time there was an initiation effort from the teachers to approach and improve the ideology of the perpetrators, this bomb might not have happened, ”he said, Tuesday (15/5).

With this momentum, he hopes schools and teachers must have efforts and sensitivities to prevent radical understanding. He emphasized that education should hone that sensitivity.

The Director General of Primary and Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) Hamid Muhammad asked the National Child Protection Commission (KPAI) not to generalize a case related to radicalism as if it were happening in all schools. Because not all schools allow such omissions.

This was conveyed in response to the KPAI’s criticism that the education system and schools in Indonesia did not develop sensitivity in the face of radicalism. The Indonesian education system is considered uncritical and does not develop acuity in thinking so that radical understanding can grow.

“Most of the principals and teachers have carried out proper coaching of students, so that intolerance in schools does not develop,” said Hamid, Wednesday (16/5).

In addition, he also regretted the KPAI statement which stated that so far teacher training has not included knowledge related to radicalism. Because in teacher training, said Hamid, Kemendikbud is not only about curriculum. However, many materials that are integrated such as literacy, the introduction of high-reasoned questions or High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) include the problem of radicalism.

“So yes, a lot of material is integrated into teacher training, such as literacy, HOTS, and strengthening character education, including the issue of radicalism,” he said.