The development of good charactersh

The development of good character
should be the heart and soul of education, and
should dominate the spirit of teaching. This was
the philosophy of the “Father of Education” in
Indonesia, Ki Hajar Dewantara. The reason, he said,
was that teaching and character building are like
two sides of a coin and cannot, and should not be
separated.
Education, by definition, means guiding
student lives in a strong foundation of good
character, so that they would be civilized humans
of highest moral fibre, thus laying the foundation of
a great nation without distinction of religion, ethnicity, customs, economic and
social status.
Ki Hajar Dewantara was born in the royal family of Yogyakarta on 2ndMay
1889. His given name was Raden Mas Suwardi Suryaningrat which he later
changed to renounce his connections with the royal family. He transformed
himself into an activist, columnist, politician and pioneer of education for
Indonesians. He fought for rights of Indonesians during Dutch and Japanese
colonial eras.
He was born into an aristocratic family that granted him the privilege of
free access to education of his choice. He got his primary education from ELS
(Europeesche Lagere School), then he continued his education at Stovia (Java
Medical School) but due to health reasons he couldn't finish it. He started writing
for newspapers and eventually all his writings were focused on Indonesian
patriotism, thus anti Dutch. He was involved in the early activities of Budi Utomo
and the Indiesche Party, which were both important in the early development of
the pergerakan, the “movement” that grew up with a nascent Indonesian national
political consciousness (www.indonotes.wordpress.com).
He was exiled between 1913 and 1919 following the publication of two of
Bahasa Inggris 65
his articles: “Als ik eens Nederlander” (If I was a Dutchman) and “Eén voor allen en
allen voor één” (One for all and all for one). He used his time in exile to learn more
a b o u t e d u c a t i o n a n d o b t a i n e d a E u r o p e e s c h e c e r t i f i c a t e
Following his return, he focused more on cultural and educational efforts
paving way to develop educational concepts in Indonesia. He believed that
education is very important and the most important means of freeing Indonesians
from clutches of colonization. He played a leading role in establishing “National
Onderwijs Institut Taman Siswa” in 1922. This institution was established to
educate native Indonesians during colonial times. This institution was based on
these principles:
1. Ing Ngarsa Sung Tuladha (the one in front sets example).
2. Ing Madya Mangun Karsa (the one in the middle builds the spirit and
encouragement).
3. Tut Wuri Handayani (the one at the back gives support)
(indonotes.wordpress.com).
As Ki Hajar believed that character was not merely a theoretical concept,
but a practical and living concept, he embodied his vision in his school, Taman
Siswa. The central goals of Taman Siswa emphasized character building, including
traits such as patriotism and love for the nation, and a sense of national identity.
His vision was that Indonesians would be free from colonial powers, to fight for
independence and have good character. He continued writing but his writings
took a turn from politics to education. These writings later laid foundation of
Indonesian education. Froebel, Montessori and Tagore influenced his educational
principles and in Taman Siswa he drew some inspiration from Tagore's
Shantiniketan (asrirahayudamai.wordpress.com).
After independence, he was given the office of Minister of Education and
Culture. For his efforts in pioneering education for the masses, he was officially
declared Father of Indonesian Education and his birthday is celebrated as National
Education Day. His portrait was on 20,000 rupiah note till 2002. He was officially
nd th
confirmed as a National Hero of Indonesia by the 2 President of Indonesia on 28
November 1959 (Tokohindonesia.com).
Ki Hajar Dewantara passed away on 26th April 1952 at the age of 69 years.
His wife donated all Ki Hajar's belongings to Dewantara Kirti Griya Museum,
Yogyakarta. He was a great man who spent his whole life serving his people and
country.