Essence of Character Education

EDUCATION character as the central theme of National Education Day 2010 was recently inspired many to revitalize the character education. Character education raised as a major issue of national education development today. This is a very good thing, at least there is awareness that intentional or not, as long as this character education has been neglected.

Revitalize character education is certainly not an easy task, especially when the journey of national education has reached a thick load trajectory intellectualism. Not intend to deny the intellectual education, but when intellectualism has dominated our education, certain aspects of kognitiflah winner, whereas affective and psychomotor aspects do not get a place.

It is important to revitalize the educational character of the basic concepts to be studied is known characteristics. At first, character education emerged as a response to inequality and instrumentalists ala JJ pendidikannaturalis Rousseau and John Dewey. Education and instrumentalist regarded naturalist no longer sufficient for the formation of a personal intellectual cultural dah. Character education is an effort to revive the spiritual ideal of education as it has gone by in-telektualistis education.

Dimensional character education must move from natural determination to personalized education with a humanitarian approach to psychosocial and integral. Perhaps this is called by Ki Hajar Dewantara as education that builds character through niteni, nirokke, and nambahi, to understand, ngrasa, and nglakoni.Oleh therefore, the essence of education is the formation of character and essential wholeness in attitudes and behavior learners. Character identifies the individual in the capacity of the subject. Maturity character is a manifestation of one's personal qualities.

To measure the maturity of a person's character, a German national students FW Foer-ster (1869-1966) put forward four basic traits, is (1) any action based tataran.hierarki measured values, (2) the courage to uphold the principles and not run the risk, (3)-nilaidan internalization of norms in outer self so integral to his personality, and (4) persistence and faithfulness in holding fast to the ideals of kindness and respect for the choices that have been set.

Value is a normative guideline every attitude and action. Steadfastness in upholding the principle of making someone "adamant" not to be easily swayed by circumstances. The internalization of values ​​and norms give judgment in making decisions without intervention from other parties. While persistence is endurance to believe what is considered good and strong commitment to the decisions that have been.

Education in Indonesia is in progress can not be said to have the characteristics of character education. In a practical level, the teaching has not up to learning. Average extent teachers teach no more rote learners only produces copy and paste lessons. Exams are not able to explore critical thinking, logic-based argumentative force. Moreover, to get the education as a religious performance culture in public life, would still be far dariharapan.

If revitalization character education done in earnest, then developed a competency-based education should not rule out personal competence and social competence are religious. Competence science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, geography, information technology, and the like should be in line with the character and competence competence skills.