Practicing Tolerance And Togetherness: Ramadan Reflections For Meaningful Learning In The Era Of The Independent Curriculum
By, A. Rusdiana
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are not only rituals of worship, but also living spaces full of humanitarian values. Amidst Indonesia's diversity, this holy month is a great opportunity for students to internalize and practice tolerance and togetherness. In 2025, according to the Joint Circular (SEB) of the Three Ministers, learning activities in schools will resume on April 9, 2025, a strategic momentum to conduct more meaningful educational reflections. The values of tolerance and togetherness are in line with value-based learning in the Independent Curriculum, which places students as active subjects of character formation. The Pancasila Student Profile Principle emphasizes noble character, mutual cooperation, and global diversity, which are very relevant to the meaning of Ramadan. Unfortunately, there are still many learning activities that do not utilize cultural and religious moments as part of character building. Tolerance is often just a discourse, not a real practice in the classroom or learning community. This article is here to answer this challenge: how to make Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr a source of inspiration for active and contextual learning, which fosters values of tolerance and togetherness in students, in order to welcome Indonesia Emas 2045. For that purpose, let's elaborate one by one:
First: Tolerance in Religious and Cultural Diversity; Students need to be invited to understand that Ramadan does not only belong to Muslims, but can also be a means of mutual respect between religious communities. Activities such as "interfaith stories", exchange of experiences, to local cultural exploration projects during Ramadan, can be developed in thematic learning modules. Teachers as facilitators can design reflective assignments that encourage students to see diversity as a strength, not a threat.
Second: Togetherness and Mutual Cooperation in Families and Communities; Togetherness during Ramadan such as breaking the fast together, tadarus, or social activities can be raised into project-based learning (PjBL) practices. For example, students create collaborative journals about social activities in their environment, then compare them to understand various forms of contribution in society. The value of mutual cooperation can be instilled through teamwork in the classroom, creating discussion spaces, and peer-to-peer evaluations.
Third: Empathy towards Others; Fasting teaches hunger and thirst as a means of practicing empathy. Schools can integrate this into post-Ramadan holiday reflection sessions, through open discussions, role-playing, or small social campaigns. This program can be strengthened with the principle of student agency, where students design their own empathy-based activities, such as fundraising or writing letters to underprivileged children.
The momentum of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2025 can be a concrete social laboratory for students to internalize the values of tolerance and togetherness. With the Independent Curriculum approach, learning is no longer bound by the walls of the classroom, but is integrated with life. Hereby, recommend to Teachers and Education Stakeholders: 1) Teachers need to design reflective learning after the Ramadan holiday that links students' personal experiences with Pancasila values; 2) Schools should encourage value-based projects that are relevant to students' social and cultural lives; 3) Policy makers can strengthen the value curriculum by providing integrative guidance for religious and cultural moments such as Ramadan.
Practicing the Values of Tolerance and Togetherness; Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are the right moments for students to internalize important values in community life. Wallahu A'lam.
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*) This article, transcribed from the article reported by the Education Office on April 10, 2025. Intended to Provide Examples of Learning for MPI Student Assignments in the International MPI Course.
