Podcast With Nadiem Makarim, Jokowi: Education Must Make People Free

President Jokowi and Nadiem Makarim (Capture the YouTube screen of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that education should make people free. He conveyed this when filling out the 2021 National Education Day Podcast with the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Mendikbud-Ristek) Nadiem Makarim.

"It is Ki Hadjar Dewantara's spirit that we must remember that education must liberate humans. He conveyed that and we must remember all," said Jokowi when asked by Nadiem about the meaning of National Education Day in a podcast broadcast on YouTube's Presidential Secretariat, Sunday, 2 May.

Independence of every human being, he continued, should be the goal of everyone. The former governor of DKI Jakarta emphasized that all parties can be anything but still have to respect the independence of others.

"Armed with education, everyone can be anything. This is also important, it needs to be underlined. But apart from that, it must also respect the independence of others," he said.

So, on this National Education Day (Hardiknas), Jokowi reminded that the Indonesian education system must liberate humans in the future.

"I want to remind since today is the National Education Day, so that the Indonesian education system must once again liberate its people and build the soul and body of the nation," he said.

Furthermore, Jokowi asked Nadiem about Ki Hadjar Dewantara's philosophy in education.

"Let me ask the Minister, what is the philosophy of Ki Hadjar Dewantara who is famous in the world of education?" asked Jokowi.

"Of course, the philosophy of independent learning, Mr. President. That is what the President has just explained and another one who speaks Javanese, Ing Ngarsa Sung Tuladha, Ing Madya Mangun Karso, Tut Wuri Handayani," replied Nadiem.

"This means that in front of giving an example, in the middle of giving guidance, and behind giving encouragement," he added.

He called this philosophy which later became the essence of educators. "The concept of mutual cooperation that we have produced in the Pancasila student profile is actually the direction for independent learning, Mr. President," he concluded.