Recent incidents of bullying among high school academics in Jakarta and several other areas have highlighted the critical need to establish child-friendly seminaries as part of efforts to exclude violence in seminaries. A child-friendly academy is a model that ensures that all children live collectively in a safe, physically comfortable, socially and psychologically testing environment, where they can live, grow, develop and share appropriately according to their stage of development. Scholars also admit protection against violence and demarcation.
According to Rita Pranawati, director of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), as reported by Kedaulatan Rakyat magazine on Friday, July 21, 2017, creating child-friendly seminars requires the active participation of parents.
“Parents have a responsibility, as do seminaries, to guide children on their educational journey,” Rita writes.
Additionally, she says, seminaries and parents can together uphold the principles of pacifism and non-discrimination, prioritize the child’s best interests, consider child survival and development, and respect children’s opinions and participation.
This can be achieved when preceptors and parents, within their settings, collaboratively produce and cover the operation and regulations, facilities, structure, grounds, classes and programs of the academy.” Similarly, a day-to-day relationship is formed between preceptors, academics, educational staff and other academic stakeholders that is fair and equal,” he writes.
It is explained that the operation and regulations of the academy are developed from a child protection perspective. The school facilities, structure and land are expected to be aligned with the safety and requirements of the children. Additionally, classes and programs should target the child’s smart interests. “In essence, seminaries are created as places to prevent and educate a child-friendly culture through good actions and habits,” she writes.
Cultivating this arts education requires the active participation of parents, preceptors, staff, and the community in exploring the values of original wisdom. For example, the saying “empan papan” implies that all members of the academy must understand where they stand.
In the conception of “empan papan”, parents, preceptors and staff must set a good example for scholars. For example, preceptors must position themselves as inspirational figures for scholars. Preceptors will spread peace through daytime gestures that continually motivate scholars to communicate effectively with others.
Preceptors must educate communication patterns among scholars, so that they can wisely address the problems of the fellowship.
When they can communicate well verbally and through body language, the academy grounds will be filled with a sense of familiarity and camaraderie that fosters the spirit of literacy and the realization of dreams.” This is the meaning of ‘empan papan’. The preceptors can understand and communicate with students in a language that is fluently understood based on the child’s age and development,” he writes.
