Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Waba

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Judges, participants, and all audience present here today.
Alhamdulillah for all the blessings that Allah has been giving us, especially the young generation. It is because we are the pillars of this lovely country, Indonesia. As Soekarno has said, “Give me ten young men, I’ll shake the world.” This was to show how important the youth is to a country.
Then, how to get there? Education is one of the most important aspects in developing the nation’s morality, especially for the young generation. Educational institution such as schools should be able to raise, develop, and maintain students’ creativity and skills. However, what has happened so far is exactly the opposite. Some schools have become not more than just a cage to their students.
How could this happen? Teachers are supposed to guide students through character building. Ironically, however, some of them have become the cause to the students’ moral degradation by involving violence in their classrooms. Some teachers have misunderstood their concept of discipline. They still pinch or even punch students in class. It is very fatal when teachers involve violence in maintaining classroom discipline. That’s because violence will only lead to other violence. This can be a boomerang for the school itself. Students who experience violence from their teachers will become destructive students who will likely do violence to their peers.
According to the National Constitution No. 23 year 2002 about children protection, this kind of phenomenon should be banned in schools. In article 54 of the constitution it’s said that children inside or around the school must be protected from violence done by anyone. This is also in accordance to the UN’s memorandum concerning children’s rights.
Not only teachers, some students are also actors of violence in schools. Bullying is one phenomenon to prove this. They are the actors of violence to other students when they bully their peers. Any kinds of violence in schools should not be present in schools in any situation and for any reasons. It’s because violence will give bad impacts to the students.
Physically, violence will make the students wounded, injured, or experience any other physical disorders. Psychologically, violence will lead to depression, demotivation, inferiority, fearful, insecure, and any other impacts that will eventually result in the decline of achievement.
To overcome this problem, there should be a clear understanding that violence is not a solution. Teachers, parents, and students should share the same opinion about this. Moreover, schools should include humanity in their teaching and learning process. Religious and moral values in line with the national culture are other important aspects that should also be included. In this way, students will get their rights and the young generation will develop more.
Let’s hope that there will be no more violence in the name of education now and forever. Thank you very much.
Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.