Attracting Generation Z's Voice Through Political Campaigns In Schools Is Not An Easy Matter

Badung Regency KPU members together with the mascot of the 2024 Sura and Sulu elections provided information regarding the stages of the 2024 General Election to a number of students in Badung, Bali, Monday (14/8/2023). (Between)

JAKARTA - The world of education in Indonesia is again in the spotlight. This is after the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) to allow political campaigns in educational institutions as long as they do not use campaign attributes. This is the sound of the Constitutional Court's Decision Number 65/PUU-XXI/2023 which was read out on Tuesday (15/8/2023). The Federation of Indonesian Teachers Unions spoke about the decision.

"In fact, so far, places of education and government facilities have become neutral spaces for the public interest, so they are prohibited from using educational facilities and government facilities as campaign places during general elections," said Retno Listyarti, Chairman of the FSGI Expert Council, in his statement.

This decision certainly invites polemics. Of those engaged in education, this narrative is considered to cause a number of problems. Starting from the threat of horizontal conflict, bullying or bullying, to the possibility of nepotism and transactional practices in educational institutions.

On the one hand, the permission from the Constitutional Court to allow campaigns in the school environment should be a challenge for the candidates. Considering that the target is the novice voters or Generation Z.

November to February 10, 2024 could be a busy period for candidates who will fight in the 2024 General Election. According to the PKPU regulations, during that period they were allowed to campaign. But it seems that educational facilities will also be busy after the Constitutional Court's decision to allow campaigns in schools and campuses.

Education facilities can indeed be an'soft target' for candidates conveying their vision and mission ahead of next year's election. In addition to seeking votes, the campaign is also considered to be one of the programs for students to study politics from an early age.

However, different opinions were conveyed by the Education and Teacher Association (P2G). They are worried that the campaign in educational facilities can trigger horizontal conflicts and bullying. This was revealed by Satriawan Salim as P2G National Coordinator when talking with VOI.

First, we are worried that schools will become a practical political arena. This will burden teachers, students, parents, and curriculum. Campaign activities in schools also have the potential to interfere with the teaching and learning process," said Satriawan Salim.

The political prevalence is different between school principals, teachers, and students in this election, threatening harmony in the educational environment. Instead of creating a cool political atmosphere, campaigns in schools are prone to bullying when there are differences in political views.

"For example, when there are students who have different preferences from the other majority choices, there is a possibility of bullying or bullying by other friends," Satriawan continued.

Another concern when a political campaign is carried out in educational facilities is the existence of nepotism or transactional practices between schools and campaigning candidates.

"Imagine if schools have preferences, it's not impossible to have collusion. There is a collusion practice with the lure of gifts," said Satriawan.

Political campaigns by visiting educational facilities are one way for legislative candidates to get the votes of novice voters. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) there are 399,376 school units in the 2022/2023 school year.

Of these, there are 14,236 units of high school, 14,265 units of SMK and 9,827 units of MA. At this level, there are 14,236 units of novice voters. In this case, novice voters are generation Z or those aged 17 years and over. This age generally now sits in grade 10 or 11.

Generation Z is a potential voter that can be utilized by legislative and vice presidential candidates. Based on the results of the recapitulation of the permanent voter list (DPT), the majority of voters for the 2024 General Election are dominated by Generation Z and millennials.

A total of 66,822,389 or 33.60 percent of the millennial generation. Meanwhile, 46,800,161 voters from generation Z or 22.85 percent of the total DPT for the 2024 General Election," said KPU Commissioner Betty Epsilon Idroos at the Open Pleno Meeting. DPT Recapitulation at the KPU Office, Jakarta, on July 2.

If accumulated, the total number of voters from millennial generation and generation Z is more than 113 million voters or about 56.45 percent of the total voters.

According to Satriawan, political education can be taught from an early age which is inherent in the curriculum. Instead of campaigning in schools, political education has actually been stated in the curriculum such as in the lessons of Citizenship Education or Social Education Science (IPS).

"When campaigning in schools, this has the potential to make teachers, students and school residents a political vehicle for the candidates. This is not political education," explained Satriawan.

Untuk menarik suara gen Z tidak harus kampanye di sekolah, karena ini cara yang konvensi gen Z sangat dekat dengan media sosial. Seharusnya menjadi challenge untuk para calon bagaimana menarik perhatian siswa. Seharusnya mereka bisa memanfaatkan medsos, seperti Live IG misalnya untuk berdialog sehingga tidak mengganggu proses belajar di sekolah, kata Satriawan lagi.

Satriawan hopes that there will be solutions from the General Election Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) to the current polemic.

"The Constitutional Court's decision is final and binding. It is hoped that the KPU and Bawaslu will make rules that are able to anticipate this potential. The KPU and Bawaslu must make rules that can prevent horizontal conflicts, prevent bullying, and coercion," he concluded.