learning or competing?

Tulisan dibawah ini diambil dari Lifesigns: Intimacy, Fecundicity, and Ecstasy in Christian Perspective by Henri J.M. Nouwen.

"My own experience is limited to universities. One of the saddest aspect of the lives of many students is that they always feel pressured. The irony is that those who have the luxury of spending time reading the great books of our culture and exploring the intricate beauty of creation find themselves always fighting deadlines. Students complain about the number of pages they have to read or write, and anxiously wonder how they will finish their many assignments on time.

The word "school", which comes from "schola" (meaning: free time), reminds us that schools were originally meant to interrupt a busy existence and create some space to contemplate the mysteries of life. Today they have become the arena for a hectic race to accomplish as much as possible, and to acquire in a short period the necessary tools to survive the great battle of human life. Books written to be savored slowly are read hastily to fulfill a requirement, paintings made to be seen with a contemplative eye are taken in as part of a necessary art appreciation course, and music composed to be enjoyed at leisure is listened to in order to identify a period or style. Thus, colleges and universities meant to be places for quiet learning have become places of fierce competition, in which the rewards go to those who produce the most and the best."

Tulisan tersebut tidak ditulis dalam konteks homeschooling, tetapi sangat tepat mengekspresikan perasaanku ketika belajar di sekolah dulu. Sekolah menjadi tempat untuk mendapat setumpuk PR, membuat tugas, mengerjakan soal-soal ujian, dan berbagai kegiatan lain yang akan ditukar dengan kumpulan angka dalam buku rapor. Yang paling parah, kumpulan angka itu akan menentukan peringkatku diantara teman-teman sekelas. Tidak mau menjadi yang terbelakang otomatis menjadi alasan untuk belajar, terlebih ada iming-iming hadiah jika menjadi yang nomor satu. Apakah itu cara untuk melengkapi diriku dengan perlengkapan untuk hidup dalam masyarakat? Apakah hidup ini sebuah kompetisi?

Aku hanya berharap anak-anak dapat membaca buku, bermain, belajar, dan mengeksplorasi kehidupan sesuka hati mereka tanpa harus dipusingkan dengan nilai atau peringkat di kelas.

Belajar seharusnya menjadi hak mereka, bukan kewajiban.