The Importance of Creating a Morally Good Young Generation

The younger generation plays an important role in building and advancing a country, considering that they are the ones who will later continue the country's ideals and the struggle of their predecessors. The younger generation carries the dignity of the nation, especially on the international stage. A country is regarded as good because of the character of its people.

As we know, technology is becoming ever more sophisticated. More and more young people are developing their minds to keep thinking forward, striving hard to become better, such as by achieving distinction, and continually creating various research or inventions that are clearly very smart.

However, it is regrettable that many nations have a generation that is intellectually bright yet the country is still categorised as not yet good. A country may have towering buildings, wealthy officials and clever people everywhere, so why is it still categorised as not yet good? Because, amid all these strengths, many people forget that producing a young generation of good character and morals is very important.

Students ought to study for themselves and to advance the country, but many students break rules or norms, whether religious norms, customs or even state rules. Examples are being selfish, wanting to win alone, not accepting differences, fighting, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and even behaviour that does not befit the status of a student.

Yet, as we know, Indonesia is a country with great diversity, such as differences in race, ethnicity, religion, culture and so on. So why is the spirit of unity and togetherness growing more fragile? Achieving distinction and having a lot of knowledge are indeed important. And if a person is not morally good, it is futile and as good as not putting into practice the knowledge they have.

The country needs a great generation, but if there is no foundation of good character and morals, it is all futile and useless. Instead of helping to advance the country and earning merit as a bonus, they bring misery to the country and add to their sins. A real example that still exists today is the many highly educated people who look dignified in skyscrapers, but inside there are many rats that bring misery to the people by eating the people's rights for personal needs, namely by corruption. So, with that, do we really have a young generation that can advance the country?

Good morals are very much needed in Indonesia today. The moral crisis now sweeping this country is a fairly large problem for the country's future. Therefore moral education must be instilled from an early age, beginning with moral education in the family.

Take a small example that is still rarely noticed today. When a child's foot bumps into a table or chair, instead of being taught to accept the apology of the table or chair, imagined as a living being, the child is taught to retaliate against that table or chair. This amounts to instilling selfishness and an unwillingness to lose to others.

Besides moral teaching in the family, it is also important within the school environment to pay closer attention to students' morals again. It very often happens that educators only value students' results without looking at each student's honesty. In addition, many TV broadcasts reflect uneducational behaviour, such as soap operas or films about fighting and so on.

Although moral education has been provided within teaching, such as the subjects Pancasila, Civic Education, Religious Education and others, indirect moral teaching is also important. For example, when a student expresses an opinion, it is best that it be heard and valued; even though the teacher knows more, giving students the chance to express opinions indirectly teaches the value of respecting one another. Educators, or what are commonly called teachers, are role models for their learners; not only teachers but also parents, as the main figures in educating their children, should begin instilling a moral spirit from early on.

As the younger generation, are we not ashamed if our morals are ruined, when the ruin of the younger generation is the ruin of this nation? For that reason, let us, as the younger generation, mend our morals again. Because if our morals are good, then the morals of this nation are good too, and it will be regarded as a dignified country.