Jokowi's Message To Teachers At The 77th Anniversary Of PGRI: Grow Critical Power To Pay Attention To Physical Health And Mental Students

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Rusman)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said teachers must always update the information they have. Not only that, they are asked to make students have a more critical mindset of new things.

This was conveyed when he spoke at the commemoration of PGRI's 77th Anniversary and National Teacher's Day in Semarang, Central Java. Jokowi said, a good learning process should also make students more able to think.

"The most important process in teaching, in my opinion, is how the teaching process is so that children have critical power," Jokowi said as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Saturday, December 3.

Jokowi asked flexible teachers to keep up with current developments. Moreover, developments in the world are getting faster.

"Flexibility is needed. Not rigid because knowledge develops very quickly," he said.

Not only that, Jokowi also asked teachers to educate students' mentality and character. So that they will become polite, honest individuals, have good character, care so that they are able to work together.

The tolerant character of differences according to the character of the nation must also be formed by teachers in schools. "Knowing about Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is also a must," he said.

Next, Jokowi asked teachers to pay attention to the physical and mental health of their students. Do not let stunting or malnutrition occur or mental problems that make the superior generation fail to form.

"The pattern of living healthy, eating healthy, and exercising must be accustomed from an early age. Don't forget, because there is no point in having knowledge, having high skills if the mentality is not healthy. The physical is not healthy. It's free," he said.

"Be careful about this. We have forgotten this for a long time, great mastery of knowledge will be in vain if students are not healthy and their souls are not healthy. Be careful about this," concluded the former governor of DKI Jakarta.