Character Education: The Foundation of a Strong National Character

Character education is an integral foundation of nation building. Strong morals are the main key to forming a civilized and just society. In this context, the role of character education becomes very important, because through character education, moral and ethical values can be deeply instilled in the younger generation, forming strong morals as the foundation of the nation's progress.

As with the words of Allah SWT in Surah Ali Imran verse 110 which means " You are the best nation [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. If only the people of the scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient". This verse indirectly shows that a good community is one that can provide benefits to humans. Therefore, forming good morals is key in providing benefits and positive contributions to the progress of the nation.

But before that, we need to understand the concept of character education itself. Character education is a learning process that aims to develop and shape moral values, ethics, and positive attitudes in individuals. This concept emphasizes the importance of developing a good personality, integrity, and behavior in accordance with moral norms in society.

Character and morals have a close relationship in the context of character education. Character includes traits and values that make up a person's personality, while morals refer to behavior or actions that reflect morality or goodness. In other words, good character will produce good morals as well. Therefore, character education not only creates individuals who have good traits, but also encourages them to behave with high morality.

One of the goals of character education is to form citizens with character. One important aspect in achieving this goal is the improvement of people's morals and ethics. Through character education, individuals are taught fundamental moral values such as honesty, caring and responsibility. By building a strong moral foundation, it is expected that people can establish relationships between individuals and groups with integrity.

In addition, another important aspect in achieving the goal of forming citizens with character is by contributing to social harmony. Through understanding values such as tolerance, cooperation and respect for diversity, individuals will be able to live a balanced and peaceful social life. That way, a society is created that can unite in differences and respect the rights of every citizen. Overall, character education is an important foundation in shaping citizens who are not only academically intelligent, but also have moral integrity and the ability to contribute positively to social life.

As we all know that character education is an approach in the learning process that not only focuses on academic aspects, but also on the formation of positive values and ethical behavior in individuals. So the implementation of character education in schools can involve various strategies and methods to shape positive character in students. Because as we know the role of schools is very important in shaping the character of students. Character education practices in educational institutions can include integrating positive values in the curriculum, involving students in extracurricular activities that develop leadership and cooperation, and applying positive discipline to teach responsibility.

In addition, the role of parents is very important in shaping children's character. Parents can be involved in character education through open communication with children, modeling good behavior, and supporting and motivating children in the development of positive values. Parents' involvement in school activities, such as parent teacher meetings and participation in social activities, can also have a positive impact on children's character building. Moreover, the community also has an important contribution to make in character education. Overall, character education is a joint effort between schools, parents and communities to create an education that combines academic and moral aspects, so that students can grow into individuals with integrity, responsibility and care for others.

However, in an effort to shape positive character, character education is often faced with various challenges and obstacles that can affect its success. One of the main obstacles is the presence of factors that hinder the character learning process. Some examples include a lack of attention to character education in the school and family environment, as well as negative influences from the surrounding environment.

To address this challenge, it is important to raise awareness of the importance of character education at all levels of society. This can be done through active involvement of parents in children's character learning process, and emphasis on positive values in the school environment. By creating greater awareness and involvement, it is hoped to overcome these obstacles and increase the effectiveness of character education in shaping a generation with strong character.

A strong nation is not only measured by economic and technological progress, but also by the character and morality of its citizens. Character education helps shape positive attitudes, values and behaviors in each individual, thus creating a more harmonious and mutually supportive society.

The close relationship between character and development achievement is key to the success of a nation. Good character, such as integrity, responsibility, cooperation and mutual respect, provides a solid foundation for society to achieve development goals. Character education equips individuals with the interpersonal skills necessary to contribute positively to the development process. By having a strong character, society will be better able to overcome challenges, build synergy and achieve progress together.

After seeing the above review, it can be seen that character education has a very important role as the foundation of the nation's morals. Through character education, people can be equipped with strong moral and ethical values, so that individuals with good personality and quality are formed. The implications of the implementation of character education are very significant in nation building. A nation that has a society with good character will be more able to face challenges and advance itself in all fields. Therefore, efforts to build strong character among the community need to be continuously improved as a long-term investment for the future of the nation. Thus, character education is not only the responsibility of formal education institutions, but also the shared responsibility of all elements of society in shaping the nation's strong and quality morals.

Hamira Azkiani_20230510202_K_AIK 1 Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.