Modern education refers to the formal education system that has developed in the last few centuries, especially since the Industrial Revolution. It is continuously developing in response to the shifting demands and needs of society. The aims of education in the current day are for preparing students for life, providing with working skills, and citizenship. This includes some key principles such as a structured curriculum, standardized assessments, institutionalized settings, a focus on academic achievement, and the use of technology.
Modernization in all aspects of life including education, somehow, neglects the humanity virtue of human itself. The overemphasis on academic achievement, technological overdependence, social life demands, and the reduced teachers’ authority as role models lead to the decline of morality in today’s youth.  This essay aims to evaluate the implementation of modern education and its correlation to the increase of immoral cases in today’s youth.
Cases in education increase dramatically over years. Based on data from the Ministry of Education and Culture's National Assessment in 2023, 34.51 percent of students have the potential to experience sexual violence, 26.9 percent of other students have the potential to experience physical violence, and 36.31 students have the potential to experience bullying. Meanwhile, report data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) in 2024 showed that there were 141 cases of bullying, 48 percent of which occurred in educational units. This shows that education in Indonesia is really in an emergency condition for moral values.
School offenses range from academic violations to severe violence. Cheating, grade trading, and certificate falsification are common, involving both students and adults like parents and teachers. Recently, a bullying case at an elite capital city school involved gang-related physical violence, traumatizing the victim and requiring hospitalization. Student violence against teachers is also rising, with incidents in 2023 involving sharp weapons in Demak and Lamongan. These events highlight a disturbing lack of respect for teachers. Why does this happen?
While modern education values access, workforce preparation, standardization, and technology integration, mis-implementation can lead to issues. Overemphasizing academic achievement and standardized tests pushes students to seek good grades at any cost. Without strong moral values, this leads to negative behaviours. Assessments should focus not just on results, but also on the learning process. In this case, modern education needs holistic assessment tools measuring the process, result and also the soft skills.
Along with the advanced technology in which many information can be obtained easily and many tools can be utilized to ease human works, critical thinking skills are highly required here. Overdependence on technology can reduce the cognitive function of our brain, resulting in the lack of critical thinking. Critical thinking is useful to help us in filtering the information and to lead us how to respond wisely toward this technology, how we keep our privacy from public, how we appreciate other works, and how to differentiate between perspective and reality.
Another critique concerns student-centred learning. While active student involvement is essential, teachers' guidance is still crucial. Currently, students are busy with projects, and teachers with administrative tasks. This absence of teacher presence in classrooms creates uncertainty, leaving students confused about their learning and more focused on project completion than its value. Additionally, the lack of teacher role models leads to diminished respect for teachers.
An external factor that influences how we value education is the way society views the purpose of education itself. Most people pursue higher education for employment and some for prestige. A good job is a job that can provide a prosperous life, which means that the purpose of education is ultimately a matter of money/economics. People with higher educational backgrounds tend to be more respected in society. Therefore, education is viewed as a ladder to reach the top hierarchy in social life. Very few people are educated for the sake of knowledge, which is what education is all about. This reality affects the morals of the youth because education is not intended to satisfy the soul's thirst for knowledge that should be reflected in attitudes and morals, but only for worldly titles.
To address this, we need to refer back to the nature of education and how earlier philosophers viewed education. John Locke's perspective on education emphasizes experiential learning, advocating for learning through experience and practical knowledge. He believed education should develop both the intellect and character of individuals, supporting a balanced curriculum that includes moral and character education alongside academic subjects. Confucius, on the other hand, focused on moral education and virtue cultivation, emphasizing virtues such as respect, humility, and integrity. He viewed teachers as moral guides and mentors who play a crucial role in shaping students' character and ethical understanding. While these two philosophers promote a holistic education emphasizing on academic and morality, Aristotle views the purpose of education as the way to achieve eudaimonia, the true happiness or well-being. Happiness is not just about material and worldly things, but peace of mind gained through virtue and wisdom. Â
It is crucial that character building be included in the classroom. Comprehensive character-building programs that teach virtues like integrity, empathy, and respect through specialized coursework, workshops, and subject-specific integrated activities should be implemented in schools. It is also essential to empower teachers as moral role models. In addition to professional development programs that provide them with the tools to teach and model ethical behaviour, teachers ought to be granted the power and resources necessary to serve as moral mentors.
In conclusion, the decline in morality among today’s youth highlights significant flaws in modern education, particularly its neglect of moral and character development. By drawing on the philosophies of John Locke, Confucius and Aristotle, we can redefine ideal education to include a balanced focus on academic and moral growth. Integrating character education, empowering teachers, and promoting balanced use of technology are essential steps towards addressing this issue. Through these measures, education can fulfil its true purpose of developing not only knowledgeable but also ethically responsible individuals.
