Character education

is an umbrella term generally used to describe the teaching of children in a manner that will help them develop as personal and social beings. Concepts that fall under this term include social and emotional learning, moral reasoning/cognitive development, life skills education, health education; violence prevention, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and conflict resolution and mediation. This form of education involves teaching children and adolescents values including honesty, stewardship, kindness, generosity, courage, freedom, justice, equality, and respect.

Common Goals
Common goals in character education are to assist youth in developing into ethical, morally responsible, community-oriented, self-disciplined adults. Character education helps students become responsible members of society.

In school programs
In the United States, the most common practitioners of the character education curriculum are school counselors, although it is growing in popularity within the curricula of other professionals in schools. However, the most effective character education in schools is that which is practiced and modeled by the teachers and ALL other adults (faculty, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, maintenance staff, etc) with whom the students come into contact while in school.

In books & media
An additional means for character education is through storytelling which can be through books and media. Good stories inspire children and young adults with role models. It teaches them about honesty, integrity and a means to participate in the community. Also, "Character Education in the Classroom" is a current program that has been used in school to teach character ed to students.

Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education

There is no single script for effective character education, but there are some important basic principles. The following eleven principles serve as criteria that schools and other groups can use to plan a character education effort. They can be used in conjunction with CEP's Character Education Quality Standards to evaluate available character education programs, books, and curriculum resources.

Principle 1
Promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.

Principle 2
Defines "character" comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.

Principle 3
Uses a comprehensive,intentional, proactive, and effective approach to character development.

Principle 4
Creates a caring school community.

Principle 5
Provides students with opportunities for moral action.

Principle 6
Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed.

Principle 7
Strives to foster students' self motivation.

Principle 8
Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community that shares responsibility for character education and attempts to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students.

Principle 9
Fosters shared moral leadership and long range support of the character education initiative.

Principle 10
Engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort.

Principle 11
Evaluates the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character.

BONUS KONDOM

Beberapa bulan yang lalu, saya sempat menyaksikan wawancara di sebuah tv swasta dengan artis berlabel JUVE alias Julia Veres. Sebenarnya wawancara tersebut tidaklah terlalu istimewa, sebab dia bukan tokoh politik ataupun pejabat tinggi. Akan tetapi yang menarik perhatian saya adalah judul dari wawancara tersebut adalah ‘album berbonus kondom”? apa maksudnya ya?

Sang artis dalam wawancara tersebut terlihat ‘pede’ dan tidak canggung sekalipun dengan judul yang dibahas, bahkan cenderung membenarkan pendapatnya sendiri, maklum ‘album’ yang berbonus tersebut adalah album milik dia sendiri.

Secara sepintas, alasan yang dikemukakan sang artis berkaitan dengan latar belakang pemberian bonus tersebut ‘masuk akal’ dan ‘sangat mulia’ yaitu ingin mencegah penularan HIV dan Perilaku seks bebas. Lalu untuk siapa ‘album’ tersebut ditujukan? Bisakah sang artis menjamin bahwa yang membeli adalah orang-orang yang sudah menikah? Sang artis pun tergagap mendengar pertanyaan ini.

Pemberian kondom sebagai bonus pada album yang dijual bebas, secara langsung atau tidak akan mendorong dan menyuruh orang untuk memanfaatkan ‘barang tersebut’ secara sembarangan dan tidak terkendali. Sejalankah pikiran masyarakat dengan artis yang mengeluarkan album tersebut, bahwa ‘bonus’ tersebut digunakan untuk menghidari HIV dan bukan digunakan untuk melakukan seks bebas? Gak ada jaminan! efek yang jelas adalah ‘bonus’ tersebut telah menjadi fasilitas untuk melakukan seks bebas. Hal ini diperparah dengan tampilan pakaian artis tersebut pada saat diwawancara yang menampilkan sisi-sisi keindahan tubuh dan sensualitas sang Juve.

Saya pikir, apakah nggak ada bonus lain yang lebih bermanfaat untuk menciptakan karakter anak muda Indonesia yang lebih baik? Masak sih harus kondom? Betapa banyak bonus yang bisa kita tawarkan untuk meningkatkan penjualan ‘album’, bisa umroh bareng, beli 1 dapat 2, gratis t-shirt, atau barang-barang lain yang lebih bermanfaat! Atau sang artis mungkin telah itung-itungan keuntungan? Bahwa dengan memberikan ‘bonus’ yang murah meriah, maka keuntungan yang didapat bisa lebih besar (walaupun albumnya gak jadi best seller?). wallahu alam.

Ayo ciptakan kaum muda indoneisa, sebagai kaum yang otaknya gak ngeres, yang hanya gumbar urusan syahwat. Kembangkan kreativitasnya dan cerdaskan pikirannya. Ayo..bangkit kaum muda indonesia