Mental revolution education strategy in realizing child-friendly schools based on character education strengthening

Abstract

This paper examines character education and efforts to get students having character through humanistic education in child-friendly schools. In realizing character education in accordance with the expectations of the community, a humanist education is needed in which it gives freedom to students to develop themselves according to their aptitudes so that the teacher as a facilitator only directs what the students want. The humanist education is expected to create a child-friendly school (CFS). Through this child-friendly school, students will be habituated to learn in an educational setting that is able to strengthen the students’ character so that the mental revolution can be realized. For this reason, the existence of CFS is surely necessary because school is one of the main components in their lives besides their family and environment. The purpose of this study is to find and describe the strategy of mental revolution education in realizing child-friendly schools based on character education strengthening. This study is qualitative study. The data are collected by means of participation (observation), interviews, and documentation. Descriptive qualitative approach is used for data analysis. The study finds that (1) Madrasa culture is carried out every morning in this school when the teacher welcomes the students at the gate of the madrasa and they welcome with a friendly smile, shake hands and tidy up the students’ uniform, as well as the students always read Qur’an, pray Dhuha and pray Zuhr in congregation in the school. (2) intra-curricular activities carried out in learning, (3) extracurricular activities carried out in the afternoon covering: (a) religious activities (Quran literacy) (b) art activities (c) sports activities (d) Tapak Suci self-defense sports. All extracurricular activities carried out in the three Ibtida’iyah Madrassas shape the strengthening its students’ character education so that they have a high and bold integrity.