Yogyakarta, July 23rd 2021─The Student Family of the Department of Social Development and Welfare (KAPSTRA) held the Discount #2 program entitled “Chit-Chat about Humanist Education” on Friday (23/7). The speakers at this event were Toto Rahardjo, the founder of the Yogyakarta Natural Children’s Studio (SALAM) Academy and Zita Wahyu Larasati, S. Sos., M. A, lecturer of PSdK Fisipol UGM. The event took place through a Zoom Meeting at 01.00 to 03.00 p.m., and was moderated by Roichan Rochmadi I., a PSdK student of the class of 2019.
School comes from the Latin scholae which means spending free time. In historical records, the educational process is learning about wisdom about how we become whole human beings. However, education eventually experienced a narrowing of meaning which when we talk about school refers to a physical space. In fact, without us realizing that we can actually learn anywhere. Paulo Freire in the book “Education of the Oppressed” states that education is a process to love humanity, the same thing was conveyed by Romo Mangunwijaya that where the heart is placed, that is where the learning process begins.
“Therefore, when we are talking about education, we should base it on the process of love, a process where there is love, there is humanity there,” Zita said. Meanwhile, Toto Rahardjo confirmed Zita’s statement that according to him the prerequisite for maintaining humanity was circumstances. “Humanity is the result of existing conditions, if the situation is already battered, it is difficult for us to avoid it, so it’s a bit funny when the state will shape its character through schools, this is a final plan, it can’t only be imposed on school institutions,” she said.
Zita explained, in the book “Education of the Oppressed”, Paulo Freire stated that what happened today was bank-style education. Wahono makes an analogy in the book “Education that Frees” that there are two categories of education, namely the chicken style and the dog style (referring to the bank style). A bank-style education process is when the teacher or school becomes the center, as if the student is a blank sheet of paper to be filled in. Whereas in chicken style education or liberating education, teachers and students are in an equal position where they finally take action and reflection so that education does not reproduce knowledge but produces knowledge.
Related to current education, students are expected to have analytical thinking skills, critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, planning and the like. Of course, these skills will be very difficult for children who experience a restrictive educational process because they are not given space to explore and only accept. “Education that is independent is an education that is very important to do where students are given space to explore, be creative, and integrative,” Zita said.