The Importance of Character Education at an Early Age

Character education is a planned and systematic effort to educate learners to build their personalities, so that they can become individuals who are useful to themselves and the people around them. Character education is a system of instilling character values that covers components of knowledge, awareness or motivation, and elements of behaviour to carry out those values towards God Almighty, oneself, others, the environment, and the nation. The development of national character can occur through the development of individual character. However, because human beings live in a particular social and cultural environment, the development of an individual's character can only occur within their own social and cultural environment.

In addition, character education is an educational system that aims to instil certain personality values in learners, comprising elements of knowledge, awareness or motivation, and action to carry out those values. The following are the values that form character: honesty, tolerance, discipline, patience, creativity, independence, a democratic attitude, curiosity, national spirit, love of the homeland, appreciation of achievement, friendliness, love of peace, love of reading, care for the environment, social concern, and responsibility.

As for the functions of character education, first, building a multicultural national life. Second, building a national civilisation that is intelligent, of noble culture, and able to contribute to the development of human life. Third, developing basic potential so as to have a good heart, good thoughts, good behaviour and good role models. Fourth, building the attitude of citizens who love peace, are creative and independent, and are able to live side by side with other nations in harmony.

The formation of a child's personal character (character building) should begin in the family because a child's first interaction with other people takes place in the family environment. Character education should be applied from early childhood because early childhood has proven to be highly decisive for a child's ability to develop their potential. Schools, meanwhile, are only one of the institutions responsible for character formation, because the contribution and role of teachers here is very dominant. The main goal of education is to shape human personalities that are mature intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Schools are institutions that have a moral responsibility to educate children to become smart and intelligent in line with the expectations of parents and society.

The formation of a child's moral behaviour can be carried out through education within the family, learning in the community, guidance both in the family and in the community, and disciplining children starting from the family environment. Character formation can be carried out through moral education, which involves aspects of knowledge, feeling, and action. Character education will be more effective if it passes through these three activities.

With the seeds of values, character values that have been sown in the family and taught at school by teachers and the community, it is hoped that every individual can practise good character values in the totality of life in society and the nation. The capital of character values that already exists in the individual is fertile ground for young children to realise life together in creating an ideal society. Moreover, in the learning and socialisation of moral education, the concept of learning to do, learning to be, learning to know, learning to live together can be used.

As for how to realise a moral society, the concept of “Ingarso sung tulodo, Ing madyo mangun karso, Tut wuri handayani” can be used. This concept of moral education for young children must not remain merely a discourse but must be actualised in real life, so that character education can bring about the ideal society that is aspired to.

Character education is a planned and systematic effort to educate learners to build their personalities, so that they can become individuals who are useful to themselves and the people around them. Character education is a system of instilling character values that covers components of knowledge, awareness or motivation, and elements of behaviour to carry out those values towards God Almighty, oneself, others, the environment, and the nation. The development of national character can occur through the development of individual character. However, because human beings live in a particular social and cultural environment, the development of an individual's character can only occur within their own social and cultural environment.

In addition, character education is an educational system that aims to instil certain personality values in learners, comprising elements of knowledge, awareness or motivation, and action to carry out those values. The following are the values that form character: honesty, tolerance, discipline, patience, creativity, independence, a democratic attitude, curiosity, national spirit, love of the homeland, appreciation of achievement, friendliness, love of peace, love of reading, care for the environment, social concern, and responsibility.

As for the functions of character education, first, building a multicultural national life. Second, building a national civilisation that is intelligent, of noble culture, and able to contribute to the development of human life. Third, developing basic potential so as to have a good heart, good thoughts, good behaviour and good role models. Fourth, building the attitude of citizens who love peace, are creative and independent, and are able to live side by side with other nations in harmony.

The formation of a child's personal character (character building) should begin in the family because a child's first interaction with other people takes place in the family environment. Character education should be applied from early childhood because early childhood has proven to be highly decisive for a child's ability to develop their potential. Schools, meanwhile, are only one of the institutions responsible for character formation, because the contribution and role of teachers here is very dominant. The main goal of education is to shape human personalities that are mature intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Schools are institutions that have a moral responsibility to educate children to become smart and intelligent in line with the expectations of parents and society.

The formation of a child's moral behaviour can be carried out through education within the family, learning in the community, guidance both in the family and in the community, and disciplining children starting from the family environment. Character formation can be carried out through moral education, which involves aspects of knowledge, feeling, and action. Character education will be more effective if it passes through these three activities.

With the seeds of values, character values that have been sown in the family and taught at school by teachers and the community, it is hoped that every individual can practise good character values in the totality of life in society and the nation. The capital of character values that already exists in the individual is fertile ground for young children to realise life together in creating an ideal society. Moreover, in the learning and socialisation of moral education, the concept of learning to do, learning to be, learning to know, learning to live together can be used.

As for how to realise a moral society, the concept of “Ingarso sung tulodo, Ing madyo mangun karso, Tut wuri handayani” can be used. This concept of moral education for young children must not remain merely a discourse but must be actualised in real life, so that character education can bring about the ideal society that is aspired to.