TEMPO.CO, Surabaya - Elementary schools (SDs) and junior high schools (SMPs) in Surabaya city, East Java, are ready to implement two-hour-long character development education sessions for students.

"Teach those children to have a strong mentality; when facing the real world, they have extraordinary abilities," Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi said while giving a motivational speech to 883 contract-based government employees (PPPK) teaching in SDs and SMPs on Tuesday.

He asked the teachers to help shape the character of students by improving learning patterns.

"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), these teachers have been promoted as PPPKs, so we provide salaries and also benefits. Hence, I say that they are people who can create leaders who have akhlakul karimah (noble morals)," he said.

According to him, the current learning process tends to be boring. Thus, it is necessary to improve the teaching curriculum based on the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry's policy on the learning period.

"Please calculate the study hours correctly. (For instance,) if the study hours have been fulfilled at 12 p.m., then finish it at 12 p.m.," he said.

A student's intelligence must be complemented by strong character, the Surabaya Mayor added. Thus, schools are required to provide character-building activities for students, such as artistic and religious activities, he emphasized.

The character development-based curriculum will be implemented starting November 2022.

Mayor Cahyadi further said that he wants Surabaya city students to socialize with each other and gain confidence in expressing their opinions, and not only stick to completing their daily homework.

"After being calculated by Mr. Yusuf Masruh (head of the Surabaya City Education Office), (the study hours) is enough until 12 p.m. It means 12 p.m. and after is for character building," he said.

ANTARA

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