By: Res Phobia *

Mankind is a diverse reality. The UN as a formal institution in the international level that represents the presence of the international community, recognizes the reality meant in a variety of legal products.

One product with a strong UN legal recognition of the diversity of futuristic dimension is the International Covenant / Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was agreed on November 20, 1989. Indonesia has ratified it on August 25, 1990.

Hang of Legal Studies, a meaningful ratification of international legal product acceptance into national law. That is, ratifying countries are bound juridical rights and obligations in the product is to enforce international law in constitutional practice nationally.

This also means the state has the capability of law (legal capacity) as a measure of a civilized keberdaulatan, because it shows good will (good will) in complying with international law for the sake of living together as an international community of civilized law.

Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Convention states that "States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in this Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, regardless of race, color, sex, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, nationality, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status of the child or the child's parents or legal guardians ".

In fact, Article 17 of the Convention, among others mentioned States Parties recognize the important function performed by mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national resources and international levels; primarily aimed at the improvement of social welfare, spirituality and kesusilaannya and physical and mental health.

This quote can be mean and imply the need to reform the bow to multicultural education (multicultural education). Guarantees, respect and recognition, as the three key words in these articles, closely related to multicultural education as a cluster of ideas, perspectives and beliefs about the glory and rewards academic diversity.

This is where NTT is diverse, the potential to be a laboratory of civilization through multicultural education and on behalf of liberty point of view as well as beautify the portrait and the meaning of life together. Available opportunities for mutual cooperation across cultural achievements equip-based quality of life of local values. When done seriously, NTT can be lights in overcoming the tendency of weak spirit of plurality and solidarity for the sake of the national fraternity.

The next expectation is to give meaning to the world order and peace. There are five homework remnants NTT Parliament for new members. Fifth PR, namely the corruption cases that have not been completed, the quality of public services in health and education are not optimal, mapping of cross-district administrative boundaries in the Timor and Flores, the bankruptcy of PT Semen Kupang, NTT as well as the struggle to make kepulaua province.

There is also another reality. NTT Regional Museum which has a collection of 8600-an item among others in the field of biology, archeology, history and ethnography, not enough demand, were visitors. So that can be read from the testimony of the Head Museum, Leonardus Nahak. Yet according to him, "Actually, to the museum, we can know ourselves.

Because a lot of things and the values ​​of our culture that we can see in the museum. We can know a lot that our culture is rich. "In connection with the five PR Parliament and conditions of NTT's Regional Museums, multicultural education opportunity to build a functional interaction.

The shape is either not want any direct, can be a sharing of experience would also inject a spirit of mutual dependence and cooperation, in three ways among the top five PR is the fulfillment of the quality of health and education, mapping boundaries, as well as the struggle became the province of the archipelago.

As for regional museums, functional interactions are reciprocal between multicultural education with a vision and mission of the museum, a link of reason and conscious relationship. Even with very clear steps, East Express since 2008 has been continually moving the grounding and awareness about the importance of protecting the environment and hygiene through the KGC (Kupang Green and Clean).

Together with the City of Kupang, can be understood also that the newspaper this morning was actually reminiscent of the local values ​​(including NTT) ever and still exists in the way of life of civilized society and a long history of human life about the importance of respecting and treating the environment well .

KGC also gives an overview and examples of how the city which also became the provincial capital of NTT was stirred again, even though their community awareness of diverse backgrounds, need to stick together regardless, maintain and continue the environmental carrying capacity of urban life.

"We have no tears left, but left the springs for the whole town," said Mayor of Kupang, Danial Adoe (Timex, 27 September 2008). Clearly, according to Director of East Express, Yusak Riwu Rohi, KGC activity is a real action to make people aware of the importance of cleanliness and greening in the neighborhood "(Timex, 27 September 2008).

It is certain that this activity affects the memory structure of society, including the younger generation about the importance of social responsibility for the environmental future. A cross-functional interaction frame that brings the diversity of backgrounds in urban communities of common interest initiated by the mass media and public authorities.

Multicultural education for children from an early age, can be relied upon as an honor to continue crocheting the realm of opportunities and role models in the field receive the difference with your heart and bright mind, explore the wealth of local culture, split the mutual understanding, pave the cooperation, while seeking the meaning of equality in a plural society but inhabit a planet that must be kept together.

Dimensions of Multicultural Education

James A. Banks, in The Routledge International Companion to Multicultural Education (2009), continues to assert some dimensions of Multicultural Education in order membahani education practitioners and academics to conceptualize and develop the practice, theory and research in the field.

The five dimensions are: the integration of the charge, the process of building knowledge, prejudice reduction, an equity pedagogy, and a set of empowering school culture and social order.

First, integration of content (content integration) - relating to the extent to which teachers enrich the educational process by using examples and content or meaning of various cultures and groups to illustrate key concepts, principles, generalizations, and theories in matapelajaran or their discipline.

Planting the charge or the meaning of ethnicity and culture into the matapelajaran is logical and not contrived when this dimension was about to be implemented properly. There are many opportunities to integrate the charge of ethnic and cultural meaning into various matapelajaran.

Therefore, the required sensitivity observed that often there are big opportunities for teachers in order to use ethnic and cultural content to illustrate the concepts, themes and principles such as in social studies, language and art music.

Second, the process of building knowledge (the knowledge construction process) - explains the process of teaching activities that can help students to understand, investigate and determine how the implicit cultural assumptions, frames of reference, perspectives, and assumptions of the researcher and author influence the way where knowledge is built.

Multicultural education does not only involve the planting of ethnic and cultural content into the school curriculum, but changing the structure and organization of school knowledge. Includes also changing the way in which teachers and students perceive and construct interaction with knowledge. This dimension also helps students to become producers of knowledge, not just consumers of knowledge produced by others.

The construction process knowledge to help the teachers and students to understand why cultural identity and positionality of the researchers need to be taken into account when assessing the validity of knowledge claims. Multicultural theories believe that their values, personal history, attitudes, and beliefs of the researchers can not be separated from the knowledge they create.

In multicultural education and teaching, paradigms, themes, and concepts that exclude or destroy life experiences, history and the various contributions of marginalized groups challenged.

Multicultural education trying to make rekonseptualisasi and expand the norm or the size of an institutionalized curriculum, to be more representative even with the differences of nations. There are reshaping the terms of reference, perspectives and concepts that complement school knowledge.

Third, reduction of prejudice (prejudice reduction) - This dimension aims to help students develop democratic attitudes toward race and of course many other elements that exist in a plurality of social environment. It also helps students to understand how ethnic and cultural identity are influenced by the school context, attitudes and beliefs of the dominant group.

A theory that has been developed by Allport, significantly affecting the research and theory in intergroup relations in the USA and countries around the world. Allport menteorisasi that the contacts between the various groups would improve relations between groups if the contact between these groups has the characteristics: (a) the status of individuals with similar experiences, (b) they share a common goal, (c) there is cooperation between groups, and (d) contact of sanctions by the concerned authorities such as parents, teachers, administrators and by the laws or customs.

Fourth, an equity pedagogy (an equity pedagogy) - A pedagogy of justice would exist if the educators modify their teaching in ways that will facilitate the academic achievement of students from various groups.

This includes using a variety of teaching styles and approaches in accordance with the characteristics of learning from different cultures and ethnic groups. It also includes collaboration using learning techniques in mathematics, knowledge and instruction to improve academic achievement of students from ethnic or cultural minorities.

The dimensions of justice pedagogy reject cultural deprivation paradigm developed in the early 1960's. This paradigm assumes that the experiences of community life in the household and low-income community of students, preventing them from achieving the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for academic success.

Because the cultural practices of family-income students who are not sufficiently considered inadequate and low, the bearer of cultural deprivation theory focuses on changes in student behavior that is more congruent with the culture of the school principal. Instead, look at the positive dimension of justice pedagogy that students from different cultures and groups coming to school even with a lot of strength.

Fifth, a set of empowering school culture and social structure (an empowering school culture and social structure) - Empowerment involves the restructuring of the school culture and organizational culture in schools so that students from different groups come into contact with the experience of equality.

School staff to check and change the social structure and culture of the school. Grouping and labeling practices, participation in sports, the gap between the achievement groups, interaction between staff and students in all ethnic, racial and cultural diversity are important variables that need to be examined and reformed.

Empowering school culture requires the creation of good relations between different kinds of groups at school. Based on a relationship of mutual respect and reciprocity in cultural differences reflected in the broad school goals, norms, and cultural practices. Effort is needed to empower school culture by facilitating the multicultural education reform.

You do this by opening the widest possible opportunity or opportunities together for teachers to engage in school development plans, teaching and education. Empowerment can also be reached by making democratic work structure that allows teachers, parents and school staff to share responsibility in school governance.

Practical Steps

Tylor conceptualization commonly known that culture is an overall complexity, in which are the knowledge, belief, art, morals, laws, customs, and other capabilities from any person as a member of the community. Similarly Selo Soemardjan and Soelaiman Soemardi, which looked at the work concerned with culture, taste, and the copyright community.

So, what can and / or need more intensified? When you understand that culture relates to a system of large and widely diverse in people's lives and in it grew, developed and maintained many aspects of life with the distribution of positive meaning, it is essentially needed is an open attitude to each other, and develop.

To develop multicultural education, some of the following opportunities can be acted upon as a practical step. First, the deepening and organize academic pembahanan about multicultural education. The form can be seminars, workshops, art mat, field studies to museums, and variety of bulk and thought the other flavors though.

Second, conducting advanced research and / or new, to record more accurate and complete various local cultures. Example of the type of data collection, history, reality and prospects. Ranahnya among others in a variety of social life, mastery and adaptation of local technology (including the local food and economic benefits) that inspired the hereditary power struggle and endurance of a particular local community, and spirit to maintain the environment.

Third, discuss periodically open and flowing molten 'gold nuggets' multicultural education into the curriculum design, accompanied by the introduction of how the substance is moved to various levels of education. Technical issues need pencermatan but with sincerity can be adjusted with the most appropriate conditions for memaknainya. An underlying factor in this aspect is humility and greatness of soul in exploring positive values, mutual acceptance of each local culture to be used as teaching materials and education.

Fourth, the results resemble deepening, pembahanan, and discussion of research into various media publication that attractive, easily accessible and understandable. Pamphlets, brochures, banners, books and audio-visual recordings can be utilized. The mass media can proclaim a more frequent basis.

Fifth, maximize personal contacts, networking educational institutions and various strategic groups, forums across cultures and customs agencies. Adding and utilize communication tools such as the Internet, will greatly facilitate the mission of multicultural education.

Sixth, the carrying capacity translates genuinely functional administration through public service by all government levels and extents. Seventh, mengujicobakan multicultural education in educational institutions or a particular school.

Eighth, to revitalize the study tour educational institutions by deepening the local culture in the area of study tour destination. Through awareness and persistence make sense, then the after-study tour could be generated with the product in the form of publication of the results are so moving into mekaran and fruits of brotherhood.

Amazing that in the midst of everyday social diversity, for and on behalf of the brotherhood of civilized, to us may ever say or even our own once said: 'woiii, it's not others'.

Res A phobia is an Instructor in FH-SWCU and Advocate. Is continuing master studies at the School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan.
This article appeared in the Daily Express East Morning .