DPR Supports Vice President Ma'ruf In Returning Pancasila As A Subject In The Education Curriculum

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin expressed his support for the plan to return Pancasila as a separate subject in the education curriculum, as stipulated in Government Regulation (PP) Number 4 of 2022 concerning National Education Standards.

"I support and welcome efforts to implement Pancasila values to students, from elementary school to university students and alumni, both at home and abroad, as well as the wider community, including businessmen," said Ma' ruf while receiving an audience with the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) at the vice president's official residence in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, April 6. During the meeting, Ma'ruf also received BPIP's report on implementing the values of Pancasila. According to him, politically, the Indonesian people have established Pancasila as the basis of the state. However, the implementation of Pancasila values still requires various efforts so that it can be understood and implemented properly in people's lives. "Until now, there are still parties who argue, for example between Pancasila and Islam. If there is Pancasila, there is no Islam, if there is Islam, there is no Pancasila. Maybe it needs to be given proper explanations, so that no one else will contradicting Pancasila and religion," he explained. The Vice President's statement was also welcomed by the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR). Mainly, those who take care of the field of education and Pancasila.

Member of Commission X DPR Elnino Husein Mohi supports the Vice President for the plan to return Pancasila as a separate subject in the education curriculum. According to him, if the Vice President has proposed it must be followed up.

"If Kiai Maruf proposes again, it should be realized immediately because he is the vice president of the Republic of Indonesia. Don't let the executive follow up and just talk," said Elnino to VOI, Thursday, April 7.

Elnino revealed that the MPR RI had previously recommended that Pancasila Moral Education (PMP) lessons be revived. However, until now the Ministry of Education and Culture has not discussed it again.

"Since about 10 years ago, the MPR has recommended that there be more PMP lessons, but until now the Ministry of Education and Culture has never discussed it," he said.

According to the Gerindra Legislator for the Gorontalo Dapil, education during his school days was much better than education during the reform era. Because, there is PMP and the example of the teachers.

"Those are two things that are rare now," said Elnino. Elnino then explained that the subject of Pancasila Moral Education (PMP) was replaced with PPKN (Pancasila and Citizenship Education). Then it changed again to Citizenship Education (PKn).

"Look, in the title alone we should have 'Moral and Pancasila', then we lose 'Moral', then we discard 'Pancasila'. The words 'Moral' and 'Pancasila' are lost in the memory of today's generation, "explained the Movement Politician. Greater Indonesia (Gerindra).

Meanwhile, Member of Commission II DPR MF Nurhuda Yusro also supported the Vice President's statement. Moreover, he said, the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP), which is a partner of Commission II of the DPR, had previously proposed the plan while attending a meeting with Commission X DPR in charge of education.

"I support the Vice President's statement, because BPIP had previously proposed this when invited to attend the RDP with Commission X with the Ministry of Education and Culture," said Nurhuda to VOI, Thursday, April 7.

Nurhuda assessed that the understanding of Pancasila was getting weaker. So, he said, education has a responsibility to provide this understanding. "If we pay attention and feel, the understanding and practice of Pancasila as an ideology, the basis of the state and our way of life is getting weaker," said the PKB politician.

Questioning the revival of Pancasila because the TNI Commander allowed descendants of the PKI to register as soldiers, Nurhuda said there was no correlation. The reason is that the proposal for Pancasila to return to being a subject has been proclaimed since last year.

"I don't think so (there is a connection with the statement by the TNI Commander, ed). The proposal for Pancasila was included in the curriculum a year ago. Meanwhile, the TNI Commander's statement was recent," he said.

The Central Java legislator believes that the TNI has its own mechanism to screen soldiers who are NKRI. "If there are concerns that the descendants of the PKI lack Pancasila, we believe that the TNI has its own mechanism to accept them with a strict selection," concluded Nurhuda.