Intellectualization Is Not The Main Aim in Modern School

Modern school not only suggests the intellectual value but it also considers to the other  aspects. Many schools, particularly in Indonesia, only focuses on the cognitive aspect of education and the way to get high score in the exam. Most  parents ask about their children’s score after the exam. They feel satisfied if their children get the high mark, however, only few parents or maybe none who asks about the way of their children get the score. It means that they do not care whether their children were honest or not during the exam. When someone only focuses on the score, he or she will do anything although it is not proper to be done. If the children make this habit as the main of  their goal in study, it is not impossible that after being adult, he or she will  habitually do anything to get the score including being dishonest.

Now, the focus of education not only builds the intellectual ability but it also considers the moral value, emotional, psychological, religion, and the dimension of developing intellectual in intact way. This term is called Holistic Education (Johan Pestalozzi, Thoreau, Emerson, maria Montessori and RudolfSteiner). This thing is necessary for the modern schools, mainly in Indonesia to dig more the students’ abilities than it is supposed to be and not just finish at the final exam. Just say for example, Holistic Education includes the emotional aspect of the students, it means that the students learn about how to control their emotion. This case can be depicted that it will happen in a real world when they live in a society. They have to learn about the way to respect each other and not thinking about their own self, especially in taking a decision, argumentation, etc.  Ron Miller, the founder of journal Holistic Education Review (now entitled Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice) he says that Holistic Education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to humanitarian. It can be knotted that the final exam score is useless when they are in the community, however the social ability is needed instead.

In Holistic Education, Teacher is not fully controlling and leading the students but he or she roles as a friend or facilitator. Forbes (1996) illustrates that the role of teacher is like a friend who is friendly and well- experianced. The learning process will be enjoyable because the teacher lets the students discover themselves and get self-actualization through the learning process. By doing so, there is no gap between the students and the teacher. They can work together to gain the benefit of the learning process. The communication will be opened and the differences between one’s individual are respected. The cooperation is more aimed than the competition to get the highest score. They can be a life long learners, thinker and a good problem solver, because the learning process is not centered by the teacher.

By applying Holistic Education in every school in Indonesia, the school is said modern by doing so, because students’ good characters will be built. They can gain the maximum potential, get a pride in achievement and excellence  in their real world.