Akhlaq subject in the Primary school reports

I was very happy to recieve both Elkana's and Farhan's school reports from their teachers at the Moreland Primary School. They are excellent. For three years I have appreciated they way school reports are presented. Its mostly qualitative reports with particularly details on five aspects, personal qualities and work habits, integrated studies, LOTE (Language Other Than English), Visual arts, and Library. All aspects are written thoroughly with rating codes B for Beginning, D for Developing, C for Consolidating, E for Established, and N for Not Covered, and with explanation standard level according to the Victorian Curriculum and Standard Framework (CSF). Each one of these aspects explains what student has learned and the student's achievement. The last two pages are general achievement presented in both semi quantitative and qualitative ones. The general achievement presents a rating (A, B, C, D, E) and comparison of students achievement (child's achievement 12 month ago, child's achievement this year, child's progress since last year, and the expected level of achievement) in in five learning areas: English, Personal qualities and work habits, Mathematics, Information and Communications Technology, and Health and Physical Education. The most part I like is the end of the report namely what my child has achieved, what areas to improve in the future learning, what the school will do to support my child, and what parents can do at home to help my child's progress.

After reading thoroughly Elka's and Farhan's reports I remember how poor my school reports were. One semester report was presented only in one page where all of subjects were rated by numbers from one to nine. How can students were judged only by these numbers coming mostly from formal exams which were mostly corrupted? Akhlaq which was regarded as the most important things for students to behave was reported in number from five to nine; five meant you were anak nakal (bad and naughty child) and nine meant you were anak baik sekali. Its so poor. Morality is socially and culturally very important according to Indonesians. However, there is no creative and academic ways to describe anak baik. I did not remember how I learned the akhlaq subject at public schools. There was not any particular subject to learn. My teacher said that the report is taken from a daily observation of akhlaq of the student. I learned the akhlaq subject from madrasah ibtidaiya (islamic primary schools), that I went in the afternoon, and then madrasah tsanawiyah and aliyah (Islamic secondary schools). I have to memorize hadith (prophets traditions) regarding good behaviour which was very abstract. Well, Indonesian culture highly appreciates akhlaq mostly in slogan and symbolic matters related to religious do's and dont's.

Indeed there is no akhlaq subject at Victorian public schools. However, interestingly they have details and thorough explanations on what is regarded as anak baik and akhlaq. It is written in the whole first page of school reports entitles Personal Qualities and Work Habit. The school explains the importance of this area as follows "at Moreland Primary School we aim to provide all children with the foundations for success which will provide them with social, emotional and behavioural well-being in school, work and in the future". The general achievement is divided into four, Confidence (having an "I can do it" attitude), Getting Along (working well with my class mates), Organisation (setting goals and managing times), and Persistence (trying had and not giving up), each of these has few items. In the Getting Along for example students are reported in few items: (1) works cooperatively in a group, (2) Is tolerant and sensitive to other people's feeling, (3) Is polite and well mannered, (4) works without interrupting others, (5) follows school and classroom rulers, and (6) demonstrates responsible and acceptable behaviour. They are all valued as S (starting to do this), U (usually does this), A (always does this) and L (leads and helps other students). In addition, the teacher explains the achivement of personal qualities and work habit in few sentences. Here I quoted Farhan's ones:

"Farhan is a quiet and serious student who applies himself to learning with great concentration. He is always polite and considerate towards others. Farhan is a capable students who is developing progressively well. He is more organized and has started to use his time well. He is slowly gaining confidence and learning express his ideas and sharing them with his peers. Farhan always demonstrates responsible and acceptable behavious. He is always polite and well mannered. He has demonstrated improvement in many areas this half of the year and it will be interesting to watch his development in the second half."

Looking to these akhlaq reports, how can people judge that Australia is an immoral society? In fact the society puts emphasis on morality, but presented without judgment and any specific religious precepts. They do have high standard morality with respecting freedoms and differences.

Farhan's performance at the school assembly

Almost every Monday, Elkana and Farhan's school hold an assembly. The assembly is informal, informative, presented in a communicative way, and fun! Students sit on carpet according to their classroom (not their grade). Teachers stand or sit surrounding the students. Some parents sit on chairs and banks surrounding the hall to see the assembly.

In this assembly Farhan and his friends from grade one and two were doing performance. I was so happy to see Farhan introducing what his class was going to perform. He was so confident. Farhan and his friends were singing and dancing, helped by their teachers. It was funny song about counting ducks. They were laughing during the performance. They got big applause from other students, teachers and parents. Weldone Farhan and all grades one and two!

Here in Victoria, assembly is something that students very much enjoy at school, which is far different from what it is in Indonesian schools...

Sekolah tanpa peng-kelasan

Ini foto guru-guru SD Moreland yang sedang tampil pada acara akhir tahun di sekolah. Iya, mereka pake pita warna-warni, joget di depan anak-anak (kayak poco-poco lah kalau di Indonesia) dengan ceria dan apa adanya. Kenapa tidak? toh yang penting adalah kreativitas dan having fun, disamping bagaimana bisa menghibur dan mengajak orang tua dan murid untuk having fun juga.

Acara akhir tahun adalah acara yang spesial. Setiap kelas (hampir semua murid) diberi kesempatan untuk tampil. Tapi persiapan dilakukan dengan tidak neko-neko. Tidak perlu spanduk besar dan backdrop yang ada tulisan tentang acara, tidak perlu latihan berbulan-bulan yang menyita waktu belajar, dan tidak perlu pakaian khusus yang harus dibeli dengan mengeluarkan uang, tak perlu sewa kursi banyak karena anak-anak cukup duduk di karpet, dan tak perlu iuran untuk konsumsi karena masing-masing membawa bekal piknik. Karya murid-murid selama ini dikeluarkan dan dijadikan hiasan sekaligus pameran hasil karya. Acaranya bisa dibilang sederhana, tapi sangat meriah dan informal. Benar-benar "dari kita untuk kita" begitu.

Penampilan drama pun tidak perlu menghafal. Semuanya tidak dibuat-buat atau dipaksakan supaya terlihat meriah dan bagus. Sesekali terlihat acara tidak teratur, tapi itulah kekuatannya. Untuk apa pura-pura rapih dan baik kalau hanya untuk ditonton sesaat saja? Di sekolah yang penting adalah substansi pembelajaran, bukan simbol-simbol dan formalitas. Maka tidak heran jika sama sekali tidak ada pembuatan rangking murid terpandai. Tidak ada juara-juara-an. Tapi apresiasi terhadap prestasi itu sangat tinggi. Pembagian kelas dari kelas satu sampai enam pun dibuat samar. Dalam satu ruang, seorang guru kelas (plus asistan) mengajar 20 murid yang terdiri dari dua grade (kelas) yang berbeda: misalnya kelas prep dan 1, kelas 1 dan 2, kelas 3 dan 4, serta 5 dan 6.

Tidak hanya pengkelasan fisik yang blur, pengkelasan guru dan murid yang berlebihan pun tidak ada. Hubungan guru dan murid sangat cair. Murid sangat hormat kepada gurunya walaupun mereka memanggil nama guru mereka langsung tanpa embel-embel mrs atau mr. Murid akrab dan tidak takut kepada guru, walaupun guru juga sering memberi hukuman bagi murid yang nakal. Makanya para guru juga tidak perlu jaim dihadapan murid dan orang tua.

Tentu saja tidak ada ujian nasional yang perlu dana besar dan bikin murid stres dan belajar kilat (jadi lupanya juga kilat). Ujian tetap ada, tapi dilakukan biasa saja, tanpa nomor ujian dan hampir ada test setiap minggu (misalnya tes membaca dan tes matematika). Hasil ujian juga bukan satu-satunya penilaian. Karena penilaian di kelas itu lebih banyak kualitatif, bukan kuantitatif. Hal ini sangat jauh dari budaya ujian di Indonesia yang malah mengajarkan budaya nyontek, budaya korup, dan budaya jalan pintas. Tidak heran jika sertifikat dan gelar menjadi tujuan belajar.... Kalau hasilnya negatif, kenapa ya sistem peng-kelasan formal itu termasuk ujian nasional masih tetap diberlakukan ya?

Portraits of Victoria

Foto sekeluarga di Puffing Billy

Ceritanya kami pergi ke Puffing Billy bulan Maret yang lalu. Puffing Billy adalah nama wisata kereta tua di pegunungan (sebenarnya gak tinggi-tinggi amat sih) Dandenong, masih di Victoria. Jangan salah, walaupun sudah berumur, Puffing Billy tidak karatan, bahkan kalau kata orang Betawi kinclong.

Nah layaknya turis kita berfoto-ria. Saya dan Amir bergantian mengambil foto. Kali ini Elka, Farhan dan saya berdiri didepan lokomotif Puffing Billy dan Amir sedang mengira-ngira jarak untuk mengambil foto kami. Tiba-tiba seorang nenek berkulit putih dan rambut pirang mendekat. Sambil tersenyum si nenek itu bilang: "Do you want me to take your family picture?" Wow sebuah surprise ada sukarelawan yang menawarkan diri. Surprise karena kami selama ini berfikir untuk tidak minta tolong khususnya orang bule karena kelihatannya mereka lebih suka sendiri, tidak perduli, dan tidak mau diganggu privasinya.

Pikiran itu tidak sepenuhnya benar. Bahkan saya perhatikan justru orang-orang bule itu sangat baik berkomunikasi (walau tidak mesti ramah); sering kali bilang sorry, exuse me, dan pardon me; dan memanusiakan anak kecil. Memang tidak disemua tempat seperti ini sama. (Saya kira baik di halte busway jakarta maupun di tram stop Melbourne orang sama saja sibuknya; tapi kalau di perkampungan saya kira orang Melbourne sama orang Jawa sama ramahnya...). Di stasiun Puffing Billy, saya surprise mendengar pengumuman untuk penumpang dimulai dengan "Dear ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys..." Anak-anak begitu dihargai. Sepanjang perjalanan saya lihat hampir semua orang yang menyaksikan puffing billy melintas akan melambaikan tangan, entah itu anak-anak, orang tua, bahkan sampai supir truk yang bertampang sangar. Kami yang berada di atas Puffing Billy tentunya sumringah dan bersemangat pula melambaikan tangan tak henti-hentinya. Kultur-kultur ini merupakan hal kecil, tapi ini adalah generosity yang perlu dihargai.