Jumat, 11 November 2011

Obama Promise when Acceptance Speech at the Democratic Convention Mile High Stadium, Denver Colorado August 28, 2008

To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;

With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest - a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.

To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.

Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

That's why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.

America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.

This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.

We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.

Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."

Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."

A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.

Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?

It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.

For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.

Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.

In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.

When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.

And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.

I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.

What is that promise?

It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced.

America, now is not the time for small plans.

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America's promise.

And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.

For while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even go to the cave where he lives.

And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.

You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.

So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.

America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose - our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.

I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.

You make a big election about small things.

And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.

I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you.

For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.

America, this is one of those moments.

I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.

And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you, and God Bless the United States of America.

Topics for Debate ( SMA/SMK LEVEL )

Topics for Debate

Here are 20 topics to discuss with a friend or group. Practise agreeing and disagreeing even if you have to argue against something you actually believe in. One way to have fun with this is to make up a bunch of cards that say agree or disagree. Each person has to pick up a card and then the topic is read out. It is more fun to have a debate this way because you don't have to play your true self. Try to continue each discussion for at least five minutes. Use the expressions that you learned, including agreeing, disagreeing, asking for opinions, interrupting, etc.

  • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
  • Swimming in the ocean is better than swimming in a public pool.
  • Alcohol should be illegal.
  • Children should provide room and board for their aging parts.
  • Studying grammar is more important than practicing conversation skills.
  • Television is the leading cause of violence in today's society.
  • Dogs make better companions than cats.
  • Smoking should be permitted in public places.
  • Females are better students than males.
  • A parent shouldn't pierce a baby's ears.
  • Women should be allowed to go topless in public.
  • Lawyers should make a higher salary than nurses.
  • Everyone should plan their own funeral.
  • Reading English is more difficult than writing English.
  • Summer is the best season of the year.
  • Children under 13 should not be allowed to babysit.
  • High school students should wear uniforms.
  • 21 should be the legal driving age around the world.
  • Rock and Roll is the best kind of music.
  • The government should pay for post secondary education.

Sabtu, 28 Mei 2011

Kultur Budaya dan tradisi "Mensukseskan" lah yang salah.!

Edukasi

Beranda
SERBA SERBI
ENGLISH CORNER

Sabtu, 28 Mei 2011

Dari hari ke hari, minggu ke minggu dan tahun ke tahun ujian nasional selalu menjadi masalah dan menimbulkan masalah. Tapi ada baiknya juga kita menelaah dan flashback beberapa langkah ke belakang dimana tujuan diadakan ujian nasional adalah untuk mengetahui kemajuan pendidikan secara nasional. Kalau dipikir lagi, dari tujuan itupun masalah juga telah muncul; Sebagi negara negara maritim, rasanya tidak bijak menyama ratakan semua daerah dari Sabang sampai Merauke dan dari Miangas sampai pulau Rotte. Karena ternyata tingkat kemampuan siswa dari suatu daerah dengan daerah lainnya juga berbeda beda.

Menanggapi paradigma tersebut, bukan penulis memberikan pembenaran dan pembelaan terhadap Pemerintah yang dalam hal ini adalah Kemendiknas, tapi memang ada benarnya juga bahwa standar kelulusan yang telah dibuat oleh Kemendiknas juga telah memperhatikan aspek aspek kultur, historis dan geografis seluruh daerah di Indonesia karena standar yang ditetapkan hanya berkisar 4,25 sampai 5. Artinya pemerintah hanya ingin melihat dan mengukur kantong kantong dan daerah daerah yang belum optimal dalam meyelenggarakan pendidikan, sehingga pemerintah bisa membantu provinsi ataupun kabupaten/kota yang menyelenggarakan pendidikan dibawah standar nasional. Bukan kurikulum yang telah disusun dan digodok oleh PUSKUR Kemendiknas yang salah dan bukan juga rasa apatis masyarakat terhadap ujian nasional yang juga harus disalahkan. Bahwa, ujian nasional jangan dijadikan patokan untuk kelulusan, ya benar. Bahwa pemerintah telah berusaha maksimal untuk menghindari kecurangan pada ujian nasional, juga harus di acungkan jempol. Tapi, ada sisi lain yang ternyata salah adalah kultur dan budaya kita yang selalu ingin dibilang sukses dan berhasil dalam menyelenggarakan pendidikan walaupun untuk mencapainya kita tidak menempuh cara cara yang elegan kalau tidak mau di bilang pecundang.

Nama Provinsi, nama Kabupaten/Kota, nama dinas dan Kepala Dinas, nama sekolah dan kepala sekolah bahkan nama guru ternyata menjadi sangat tendensius untuk memberikan arti sukses dan berhasil pada ujian nasional. Dilihat dari sisi kemanusiaan memang sangat manusiawi. Dimana ada pepatah bahwa gajah mati meninggalkan gading, dan manusia meninggal akan meninggalkan nama. Siapa yang tidak ingin dibilang, dipuji dan disanjung namanya karena telah berhasil dan sukses, tapi dilihat cara cara yang ditempuh...tunggu dulu Bung!

Telah demi telaah dan usut demi usut ternyata ada dampak yang tersistematis dari target "berhasil dan sukses" pada pelaksaan ujian nasional. Mulai dari Provinsi yang tidak mau dibilang ketinggalan dengan provinsi lain, jika pada tahun 2010 salah satu provinsi berada pada urutan 12 maka pada tahun 2011 tentu mempunyai target untuk menaikkan peringkat, bagaimanapun caranya. sampai pada satu sekolah dengan sekolah lainnya. Aroma persaingan pun makin tercium tidak sedap, segala cara ditempuh dan dilakukan demi peringkat dan kata "berhasil dan sukses". Padahal kalau dilihat cara mendapatkannya, kita akan sangat sedih sekali. Kepala Sekolah meng ultimatum para gurunya agar " mensukseskan" ujian nasional. Para guru pun demikian tanpa ingat tujuan mulianya sebagai guru, mereka berlomba lomba untuk membantu para siswanya. Dan yang paling parah lagi dari dampak tersistematis tersebut adalah pada adik adik tingkatnya pada suatu sekolah. Akan sangat sulit untuk mengubah tradisi, kultur dan budaya membantu" mensukseskan" ujian nasional karena ternyata mereka akan menuntut dan berharap bantuan karena senior mereka juga dibantu, gurupun tidak bisa mengelak dan memberikan alasan apapun karena ternyata budaya membantu"mensukseskan" ujian nasional dari tahun ke tahun sulit untuk dihilangkan.

Jadi kalau mau lebih bijak, marilah untuk saling instropeksi. Bukan kemendiknas yang salah, bukan Kepala Dinas Provinsi/Kabupaten/Kota yang salah, bukan Kepala Sekolah yang salah, bukan guru yang salah dan juga bukan siswa yang harus disalahkan. Yang salah adalah kultur budaya dan tradisi memaksakan dan dipaksakan untuk menjadi terkenal, sukses dan berhasil, sementara cara meraihnya dengan cara cara yang tidak fair dan tidak elegan. Apakah akan seperti ini cermin dan wajah pendidikan kita? Menyedihkan! Dan untuk merubah budaya dan tradisi butuh waktu yang sangat lama kalau tidak mau dibilang sangat sulit. Inilah realitas pendidikan kita yang memang sangat ketinggalan jauh dari negara negara lain.

Sebagai tenaga pendidik dan sekaligus masyarakat Indonesia penulis sangat prihatin berada pada realita ini. Kalau hanya berfikir pragmatis maka sebenarnya hapuskan saja ujian nasional karena pelaksanaannya sangat tidak optimal dan selalu menimbulkan kontroversi. Tetapi sekali lagi, untuk mengetahui kemajuan pendidikan maka diperlukan data dan fakta. Dan salah satunya adalah dengan tetap mengadakan ujian nasional. Dari data dan fakta itulah pemerintah dapat membuat skala prioritas untuk membangun negara ini dan mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa sebagaimana cita cita bangsa Indonesia yang tertuang dalam pembukaan UUD 1945 (Alenia ke-4).

Dari hari ke hari, minggu ke minggu dan tahun ke tahun ujian nasional selalu menjadi masalah dan menimbulkan masalah. Tapi ada baiknya juga kita menelaah dan flashback beberapa langkah ke belakang dimana tujuan diadakan ujian nasional adalah untuk mengetahui kemajuan pendidikan secara nasional. Kalau dipikir lagi, dari tujuan itupun masalah juga telah muncul; Sebagi negara negara maritim, rasanya tidak bijak menyama ratakan semua daerah dari Sabang sampai Merauke dan dari Miangas sampai pulau Rotte. Karena ternyata tingkat kemampuan siswa dari suatu daerah dengan daerah lainnya juga berbeda beda.

Menanggapi paradigma tersebut, bukan penulis memberikan pembenaran dan pembelaan terhadap Pemerintah yang dalam hal ini adalah Kemendiknas, tapi memang ada benarnya juga bahwa standar kelulusan yang telah dibuat oleh Kemendiknas juga telah memperhatikan aspek aspek kultur, historis dan geografis seluruh daerah di Indonesia karena standar yang ditetapkan hanya berkisar 4,25 sampai 5. Artinya pemerintah hanya ingin melihat dan mengukur kantong kantong dan daerah daerah yang belum optimal dalam meyelenggarakan pendidikan, sehingga pemerintah bisa membantu provinsi ataupun kabupaten/kota yang menyelenggarakan pendidikan dibawah standar nasional. Bukan kurikulum yang telah disusun dan digodok oleh PUSKUR Kemendiknas yang salah dan bukan juga rasa apatis masyarakat terhadap ujian nasional yang juga harus disalahkan. Bahwa, ujian nasional jangan dijadikan patokan untuk kelulusan, ya benar. Bahwa pemerintah telah berusaha maksimal untuk menghindari kecurangan pada ujian nasional, juga harus di acungkan jempol. Tapi, ada sisi lain yang ternyata salah adalah kultur dan budaya kita yang selalu ingin dibilang sukses dan berhasil dalam menyelenggarakan pendidikan walaupun untuk mencapainya kita tidak menempuh cara cara yang elegan kalau tidak mau di bilang pecundang.

Nama Provinsi, nama Kabupaten/Kota, nama dinas dan Kepala Dinas, nama sekolah dan kepala sekolah bahkan nama guru ternyata menjadi sangat tendensius untuk memberikan arti sukses dan berhasil pada ujian nasional. Dilihat dari sisi kemanusiaan memang sangat manusiawi. Dimana ada pepatah bahwa gajah mati meninggalkan gading, dan manusia meninggal akan meninggalkan nama. Siapa yang tidak ingin dibilang, dipuji dan disanjung namanya karena telah berhasil dan sukses, tapi dilihat cara cara yang ditempuh...tunggu dulu Bung!

Telah demi telaah dan usut demi usut ternyata ada dampak yang tersistematis dari target "berhasil dan sukses" pada pelaksaan ujian nasional. Mulai dari Provinsi yang tidak mau dibilang ketinggalan dengan provinsi lain, jika pada tahun 2010 salah satu provinsi berada pada urutan 12 maka pada tahun 2011 tentu mempunyai target untuk menaikkan peringkat, bagaimanapun caranya. sampai pada satu sekolah dengan sekolah lainnya. Aroma persaingan pun makin tercium tidak sedap, segala cara ditempuh dan dilakukan demi peringkat dan kata "berhasil dan sukses". Padahal kalau dilihat cara mendapatkannya, kita akan sangat sedih sekali. Kepala Sekolah meng ultimatum para gurunya agar " mensukseskan" ujian nasional. Para guru pun demikian tanpa ingat tujuan mulianya sebagai guru, mereka berlomba lomba untuk membantu para siswanya. Dan yang paling parah lagi dari dampak tersistematis tersebut adalah pada adik adik tingkatnya pada suatu sekolah. Akan sangat sulit untuk mengubah tradisi, kultur dan budaya membantu" mensukseskan" ujian nasional karena ternyata mereka akan menuntut dan berharap bantuan karena senior mereka juga dibantu, gurupun tidak bisa mengelak dan memberikan alasan apapun karena ternyata budaya membantu"mensukseskan" ujian nasional dari tahun ke tahun sulit untuk dihilangkan.

Jadi kalau mau lebih bijak, marilah untuk saling instropeksi. Bukan kemendiknas yang salah, bukan Kepala Dinas Provinsi/Kabupaten/Kota yang salah, bukan Kepala Sekolah yang salah, bukan guru yang salah dan juga bukan siswa yang harus disalahkan. Yang salah adalah kultur budaya dan tradisi memaksakan dan dipaksakan untuk menjadi terkenal, sukses dan berhasil, sementara cara meraihnya dengan cara cara yang tidak fair dan tidak elegan. Apakah akan seperti ini cermin dan wajah pendidikan kita? Menyedihkan! Dan untuk merubah budaya dan tradisi butuh waktu yang sangat lama kalau tidak mau dibilang sangat sulit. Inilah realitas pendidikan kita yang memang sangat ketinggalan jauh dari negara negara lain.

Sebagai tenaga pendidik dan sekaligus masyarakat Indonesia penulis sangat prihatin berada pada realita ini. Kalau hanya berfikir pragmatis maka sebenarnya hapuskan saja ujian nasional karena pelaksanaannya sangat tidak optimal dan selalu menimbulkan kontroversi. Tetapi sekali lagi, untuk mengetahui kemajuan pendidikan maka diperlukan data dan fakta. Dan salah satunya adalah dengan tetap mengadakan ujian nasional. Dari data dan fakta itulah pemerintah dapat membuat skala prioritas untuk membangun negara ini dan mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa sebagaimana cita cita bangsa Indonesia yang tertuang dalam pembukaan UUD 1945 (Alenia ke-4).

Minggu, 07 November 2010

Masuk Pesawat Masih Muda, Keluar Pesawat Jadi Tua

Senin, 8 November 2010 - 07:53 wib
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Fajar Nugraha - Okezone
Foto: AP

HONG KONG - Seorang pria muda membuat heboh jajaran pihak keamanan Bandara Vancouver, Kanada setelah berhasil mengelabui pihak keamanan. Pria berhasil menyamar menjadi orang tua dengan menggunakan topeng.


Pria muda tersebut menumpang sebuah pesawat dari Hong Kong dengan menggunakan topeng orang tua. Topeng silikon itu membuat membuatnya terlihat lebih tua beberapa puluh tahun. Tetapi saat ia memasuki kamar mandi, topeng tersebut ia lepas dan kembali menjadi dirinya yang biasa.

Seperti dilansir News.com.au, Senin (8/11/2010), Usai melepas topeng, pria yang tidak diketahui kewarganegaraannya tersebut dengan tenangnya duduk kembali ke bangku penumpang.

Tetapi pihak keamanan menyadari aksinya tersebut. Ketika mendarat di Vancouver, ia langsung didampingi pihak keamanan dan iapun mengklaim suaka saat menginjakan kaki di Vancouver. Hingga saat ini tidak ada mengetahui apa maksud dari pria tersebut melakukan itu.

Pria ini ditengarai menukar tiket pesawatnya dengan pria Amerika Serikat (AS) berusia 55 tahun. Bagi pihak keamanan Kanada ini merupakan langkah yang memalukan, karena parimeter keamanan mereka berhasil ditembus.
(faj)

Jumat, 05 November 2010

Mendiknas Minta Perguruan Tinggi Tingkatkan Kualitas Dosen

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,JAKARTA--Menteri Pendidikan Nasional (Mendiknas) Mohammad Nuh meminta perguruan tinggi swasta untuk meningkatkan kualitas tenaga pengajar minimal pada jenjang strata tiga sehingga mampu menghasilkan lulusan berkualitas. "Perguruan tinggi kuncinya itu pada dosen. Kalau fasilitasnya lengkap, gedungnya bagus namun bila dosennya kurang berkualitas maka akan mengurangi mutu PTS tersebut," kata Nuh saat peresmian Universitas Techopreneur Bakrie di Jakarta, Senin.

Saat ini, terdapat sebanyak 270 ribu dosen di tanah Air namun hanya sekitar 10 persen saja atau 23 ribu dosen yang telah bergelar strata 3. Untuk itu, Mendiknas meminta agar Universitas Bakrie memperbanyak jumlah tenaga pengajar yang berkualifikasi strata 3 namun tidak berarti menolak lulusan strata 2. "Ibu rektor dapat tetap menerima dosen strata 2. selanjutnya nanti bisa disekolahkan hingga meraih S3".

Lebih lanjut Mendiknas meminta agar pengelola Universitas Bakrie tidak mengenal pendekatan fragmentatif dalam menerima calon mahasiswa dengan membedakan berdasarkan asal usul daerah, agama, status sosial dan sebagainya. "Hanya sedikit pengusaha yang mau ambil bagian dalam memecahkan masalah pendidikan di Tanah Air yang kondisinya sangat kompleks. Dengan membangun universitas, maka Grup Bakrie telah mengambil bagian untuk memberikan solusi persoalan pendidikan di Tanah Air," katanya.

Mendiknas mengatakan dalam 10 tahun terakhir kemampuan masyarakat miskin untuk bisa menyekolahkan anak ke PT memang makin rendah."Jadi intervensi yang dilakukan grup Bakrie dengan jemput bola siswa berprestasi dari pelosok tanah air mengatasi kesenjangan masyarakat miskin yang tidak mampu kuliah ke PT, tuturnya. Tahun 2010 ini, Kemendiknas berikan 20.000 beasiswa Bidik Misi bagi siswa prestasi dari keluarga miskin untuk ke pergurun tinggi dan pemberiaan biaya hidup Rp 600 ribu/bulan.

Sementara itu, Ketua Dewan Pembina yayasan pendidikan Bakrie, Nirwan Dermawan mengatakan posisikan diri sebagai kampus technopreneur dan siapkan modal ventura untuk mendorong lulusan yang siap menciptakan lapangan kerja baru. "Kami jemput bola ke berbagai daerah karena memahami pendidikan kunci kemajuan bangsa. Masyarakat Indonesia usia 17-24 tahun yang bisa melanjutkan pendidikan ke jenjang perguruan tinggi baru 17 persen sementara Pilipina saja sudah mencapai 45 persen," katanya.

Untuk mengatasi hal itu 50 persen atau 600 mahasiswa dijemput dari kota-kota kecil seperti Bau-Bau di Sultra, Ternate di Maluku Utara untuk kuliah di Universitas Bakrie "Itulah cara kami berkontribusi di dunia pendidikan dengan melahirkan alumni yang menjadi technopreneur dan bisa menghadapi persaingan global dan menciptakan lapangan kerja, " katanya.

Sofia W Alisyahbana, Rektor Universitas Bakrie mengatakan Universitas Bakrie lahir dari School of Bussiness Bakrie tahun 2006 yang tahun lalu akhirnya menjadi Universitas Bakrie. "Lulusan angkatan pertama baru sembilan orang dari 109 orang sisanya di jadwalkan akhir tahun selesai. Tahun akademik baru ada 274 mahasiswa yang diterima," kata Sofia.

CATATAN SEBUAH PERJALANAN " Tempatku mulai mengerti arti sebuah cita-cita"

Adalah sebuah SD 051 Tanah Datar Kecamatan Rengat Barat Kabupaten Indragiri Hulu Riau, merupakan bantuan Inpres demi mensukseskan program wajib belajar 9 tahun yang dicanangkan oleh almarhum Presiden Soeharto. sebagaimana diceritakan sebelumnya bahwa disinilah anak anak 3 Kampung belajar dan bersekolah...demi merubah hidup yang lebih baik dikemudian hari. Saat itu, Bulan Juli 1987, dengan berjalan kaki sekitar 2 km, saya diantar oleh ayah untuk bisa bersekolah..umur penulis saat itu adalah 7 tahun. Penulis masih ingat saat itu, ayah membawa setandan pisang untuk Kepala Sekolah ...(saat itu kami penduduk kampung hanya bisa memberikan hasil pertanian kami untuk menghargai seseorang, disamping uang juga susah pada saat itu, tanah masih subur dan hasil pertanian masih melimpah ruah bak kata nyanyian"Bukan lautan hanya kolam susu,........................dan seterusnya) . Dan alhamdullilah pisang tersebut diterima dengan senang hati oleh Kepala Sekolah..Penulis juga masih ingat nama Kepala Sekolah tersebut adalah Bapak Masfarrudin kalau tidak salah dari Muara Lembu (sekarang Kabupaten Kuantan Singingi). Setelah resmi diterima di SD tersebut, kami diperbolehkan masuk kelas..dan guru kami adalah Bu Rembang Ginting....yahhh penulis masih ingat dihari pertama ibu itu banyak memberikan semangat dan motivasi kepada kami agar tetap bersemangat untuk mengejar cita cita agar kehidupan kami lebih baik dikemudian hari nanti. Beliau juga mengatakan bahwa walaupun kami orang kampung, tetapi cita-cita harus setinggi langit, walaupun saat ini kita dalam keadaan ssusah payah tetapi belum tentu dikemudian hari nasib kami akan seperti ini......itulah sekelumit motivasi dari guru kelas satu kami Bu Rembang Ginting.

Cerita ini tentu akan menjadi monoton dan kurang inspiratif karena selanjutnya penulis akan menceritakan nasehat-nasehat yang diberikan oleh Bu Rembang Ginting tadi.....yah sepulang sekolah setelah makan (( biasanya nasi, sayur dan cabe sudah terasa sangat enak dan lezat bagi kami orang kampung ). Akhirnya saya merenung dan sempat beripikir apakah benar dan mungkin akan tercapai cita-cita orang kampung yang jauh dari kota plus lingkungan yang hanya bersekolah untuk tetap mempertahankan hidup bukan hidup untuk bersekolah....lama saya terdiam dan tercenung..tapi akhirnya penulis berpendapat bahwa apa pula salahnya kalau punya cita-cita walaupun belum tentu cita-cita itu akan terwujud.

Selanjutnya penulis mulai belajar dan mengulangi pelajaran yang diajarkan disekolah mulai dari cara membaca, menghitung, mengaji, dan pengetahuan2 umum yang diajarkan...ingat saat itu jarang anak kelas 2 SD yang sudah pandai membaca apalagi sebelum masuk SD seperti saat ini ( tidak ada TK ,play Group, atau PAUD ) orang bersekolah hanya sekedar untuk mempertahankan hidup....itu sudah moto turun temurun. Dikampung Tanah Datar dan juga kampung2 sekitarnya belum ada PLN, jadi pada malam hari kampung terasa gelap gulita karena pencahayaan hanya berasal dari lampu pelita yang dari kejauhan nampak kelap kelip. Sesekali warga masyarakat memakai lampu " strongkin" mngkin bahasa halusnya lampu pompa...sehingga warna cahayanya putih dan terang..dan itu hanya dilakukan bagi keluarga yang mempunyai acara kenduri, mendoa, atau acara2 yang lainnya. Selain ada acara acara tersebut maka apabila malam sudah datang kampung kami diam, senyap, sunyi dan tenggelam dalam bayang-bayang burung kelelar, rangkok, ataupun burung gelatik yang melintasi kampung kami. tidak jarang juga burung burung gelatik yang berjumlah ribuan tersebut hinggap dan numpang tidur di atas pohon pohon tanaman kami. Karena jumlahnya ribuan, maka kadang2 kami arahkan ketapel dari bawah pohon tanpa melihat keatas maka terjatuh burung gelatik tersebut... dan kami panggang ramai ramai.

Kembali ke cerita awal, akhirnya pada saat itu saya berpikir bahwa hidup harus berubah...orang tua kami sudah sangat bersusah payah dan meneteskan keringat sebesar biji jagung setiap hari untuk mengasuh, mendidik dan membesarkan kami.....Saya mulai rajin meminjam buku2 perpustakaan di sekolah untuk dibawa pulang...dan pada malam harinya saya baca dan pahami isi buku2 tersebut...menyedihkan memang kalau dikenang dimana penulis membaca hanya diterangi lampu pelita buatan ibu i. Tapi apa boleh buat hidup akan terus berjalan, keadaanlah yang menghendaki kami untuk seperti itu....Bukan buku2 pelajaran saja yang aku pinjam dari perpustakaan sekolah, tetapi sekaligus buku buku cerita yang mengasyikkan.. dan aku masih ingat betul judul buku tersebut adalah "Bertemu di Pulau Harapan" menceritakan tentang sebuah keluarga yang susah payah untuk bertahan hidup di Semarang, dekat pasar Johar..endingnya mereka bertemu di sebuah daerah baru yang menjanjikan karena mereka ikut program transmigrasi...sekarang buku tersebut masih ada atau nggak. mngkin sudah hilang dari peredaran.

Usahaku belajar dan membaca setiap malam, walaupun hanya ditemani lampu pelita ternyata membawa hasil. pada ujian kelas 3 naik ke kelas 4 aku sudah dapat Rangking 3, dan dikelas 4, 5 dan 6. Alhamdullilah aku tidak pernah keluar dari Rangking 3 bahkan pernah dapat juara umum. Mungkin ini juga hasil kerja keras dan semangat pantang menyerah sehingga pada saat pengumuman lulus dikelas enam...sekali lagi alhamdullilah aku meraih NEM yang tertinggi disekolahku ..kalau tidak salah 35 pada saat itu.

Aku dan keluarga sangat senang melihat kenyataan ini bahkan karena terlalu semangatnya..Aku dibelikan sepeda Jeng ki untuk melanjutkan sekolah di SMP Negeri 1 Belilas Kecamatan Seberida Kabupaten Indragiri Hulu, Riau.

Singkat cerita, di SMP pun penulis lumayan bisa berprestasi, diawali dengan penataran P4 ( Pedoman Pengahayatan dan Pengamalan Pancasila) dulu penataran p4 wajib bagi semua sekolah dari SD, SMP dan SMA..satu minggu sebelum KBM. Dan alhamdullilah aku mendapatkan nilai tertinggi untuk penataran p4 di SMP N 1 Belilas. Salah satu keunggulan di SMP Negeri 1 Belilas (sekarang SMP Negeri 1 Seberida ) adalah kegiatan Kepramukaan...siswa dan siswi di SMP ini sering ikut Jambore Nasional tingkat Penggalang...bahkan baru-baru ini salah seorang siswa smp tersebut mewakili Riau untuk tingkat Nasional dalam Bidang IPA ( kalau nggak salah Fisika). Jadi Pramuka adalah Ekskul favorite di SMP ini....SMP Negeri 1 Belilas sendiri adalah SMP yang terdekat dari kampungku walaupun terletak dikecamatan yang berbeda...ada satu SMP yang berada satu kecamatan dengan kampungku yaitu SMP N 5 Pekan Heran..tetpai jaraknya 2 kali lipat dengan SMPN 1 Belilas. Aku sendiri sangat bahagia sekolah disini...dan berbagai prestasi juga lumayan aku raih disini...prestasi seperti apa dan bagaimana cara meraihnya akan saya sambung pada episode berikutnya.....penulis mohon maaf karena terkesan menampilkan kebaikan diri penulis, penulis tidak bermaksud untuk sombong ataupun Ria karena sifat2 tersebut akan mencelakakan diri penulis sendiri dan yang paling penting sifat2 tersebut sangat dibenci oleh Allah SWT. Maksud penulis menulis catatan ini adalah memberi semangat dan motivasi bagi siapapun yang membacanya. Sekali lagi Mhn Maaf.....Wassalam............(TO BE CONTINUED)