(Seri 1)
Merawat Perbedaan Tanpa Kehilangan Identitas
Hidup di dunia hari ini berarti hidup berdampingan dengan perbedaan. Anak-anak tumbuh dalam ruang sosial yang semakin beragam—di sekolah, di lingkungan rumah, hingga di layar ponsel mereka. Media sosial mempertemukan mereka dengan teman yang berbeda suku, agama, bahasa, dan budaya, bahkan sejak usia sangat dini. Dalam situasi seperti ini, pendidikan multikulturalisme bukan lagi pilihan tambahan, melainkan kebutuhan.
Namun, tak sedikit orang tua dan masyarakat yang masih menyimpan kekhawatiran. Apakah pendidikan multikultural akan mengikis identitas anak? Apakah membuka diri pada perbedaan berarti melemahkan jati diri bangsa? Bahkan, ada yang bertanya lebih jauh: apakah bersekolah di lingkungan multikultural akan membuat anak kehilangan identitas agamanya, budayanya, atau latar belakang keluarganya?
Pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini wajar. Tetapi sesungguhnya, ia lahir dari kesalahpahaman. Pendidikan multikultural bukan proyek penyeragaman. Ia bukan upaya mengganti identitas lama dengan identitas baru. Justru sebaliknya, pendidikan multikultural bertujuan membantu setiap anak mengenali dirinya dengan lebih utuh, sambil belajar hidup bersama orang lain yang berbeda.
James A. Banks, salah satu tokoh paling berpengaruh dalam pendidikan multikultural, menegaskan hal ini dalam bukunya An Introduction to Multicultural Education (2017). Menurut Banks, pendidikan multikultural adalah proses membantu peserta didik memahami, menerima, dan menghargai perbedaan budaya dalam masyarakat yang plural. Tujuannya bukan menghapus identitas, melainkan membentuk warga negara yang mampu hidup adil dan demokratis di tengah keberagaman. Bagi Banks, identitas nasional yang kuat tidak lahir dari keseragaman, tetapi dari pengakuan yang adil terhadap semua kelompok yang membentuk bangsa.
Pandangan serupa disampaikan oleh Sonia Nieto, pakar pendidikan multikultural. Ia menekankan bahwa pendidikan multikultural bukan sekadar tambahan materi dalam kurikulum, melainkan sebuah sikap dan pendekatan menyeluruh dalam pendidikan. Pendidikan ini memberi ruang bagi pengalaman hidup siswa yang beragam untuk diakui dan dihargai. Anak tidak diminta meninggalkan identitas budayanya demi “menjadi sama”, tetapi justru diajak mengenal siapa dirinya dan belajar hidup berdampingan dengan yang berbeda.
Bhikhu Parekh, filsuf politik multikulturalisme, menambahkan dimensi yang lebih luas. Menurutnya, negara yang sehat adalah negara yang mampu mengakomodasi keragaman warganya tanpa kehilangan nilai-nilai bersama. Identitas nasional bukan sesuatu yang beku, melainkan terus berkembang melalui dialog antarbudaya. Dalam proses ini, pendidikan menjadi ruang dialog pertama dan paling penting bagi generasi muda.
Dari ketiga pandangan ini, satu hal menjadi jelas: sekolah yang menerapkan pendidikan multikultural tidak sedang menghapus perbedaan, apalagi meniadakan identitas. Justru sebaliknya, sekolah memperkuat identitas personal setiap siswa. Pengalaman belajar bersama dalam perbedaan membuat anak lebih sadar siapa dirinya, dari mana ia berasal, dan bagaimana posisinya di tengah masyarakat yang beragam. Inilah semangat yang juga dijalankan di Global Indonesia School, baik di Serang maupun di Tangerang.
Indonesia sendiri adalah contoh nyata bangsa multikultural. Lebih dari 300 kelompok etnis, ratusan bahasa daerah, serta beragam tradisi dan keyakinan hidup berdampingan dalam satu negara. Sejak awal, Indonesia tidak dibangun di atas satu identitas tunggal, melainkan di atas kesepakatan bersama untuk hidup dalam perbedaan. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika bukan slogan hiasan, melainkan fondasi kebangsaan.
Sayangnya, di dunia pendidikan, keberagaman sering kali berhenti pada simbol: pakaian adat saat hari tertentu, tarian daerah di pentas seni, atau hafalan semboyan persatuan. Pendidikan multikultural menuntut lebih dari itu. Ia menuntut perubahan cara pandang, cara mengajar, dan cara berinteraksi sehari-hari. Karena itulah, pendidikan multikultural tidak cukup diajarkan, tetapi harus dihidupi.
Lalu, identitas apa yang tidak boleh hilang ketika seorang siswa belajar di sekolah multikultural? Setidaknya ada dua hal penting. Pertama, identitas ritual keagamaan. Ini dijamin melalui pengajaran agama sesuai keyakinan masing-masing. Kedua, identitas kemanusiaan. Dalam soal-soal kemanusiaan—penolakan terhadap kebencian dan kekerasan, ketidakadilan dan penindasan, kesombongan dan fanatisme, kebohongan dan manipulasi, serta hilangnya belas kasih dan empati—semua agama dan budaya sejatinya berpihak pada nilai yang sama.
Di titik inilah pendidikan multikultural menemukan maknanya yang paling dalam: bukan mengaburkan perbedaan, tetapi merawatnya; bukan melemahkan identitas, tetapi menumbuhkannya dalam bingkai kemanusiaan bersama.
-----------------
Robert Bala
Principal of Global Indonesia School 2 Tangerang.
Alumunus Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca Spanyol dan Universidad Complutense de Madrid Spanyol.
...
(Series 1)
Caring for Differences Without Losing Identity
Living in today’s world inevitably means living with differences. From an early age, children grow up in social environments that are increasingly diverse—at school, in their neighborhoods, and even on the screens of their mobile phones. Social media and digital platforms expose them to people of different ethnicities, religions, languages, and cultural backgrounds long before they fully understand what diversity means. In this context, multicultural education is no longer a matter of choice or preference; it has become an unavoidable necessity.
Yet, despite its growing relevance, multicultural education is still met with skepticism in many communities. Parents often express concerns that are understandable but rooted in misunderstanding. Will exposure to different cultures dilute children’s identities? Does openness to diversity weaken national values? Some even fear that studying in a multicultural environment might cause children to lose their religious, cultural, or family traditions.
These questions deserve to be taken seriously. However, they are based on an inaccurate assumption—that multicultural education aims to homogenize differences or replace existing identities with new ones. In reality, multicultural education does precisely the opposite. Rather than erasing identity, it seeks to strengthen it by helping children understand who they are while learning how to live respectfully with others who are different.
James A. Banks, one of the most influential scholars in the field of multicultural education, addresses this misconception directly. In his book An Introduction to Multicultural Education (2017), Banks defines multicultural education as a process designed to help students understand, accept, and appreciate cultural diversity within a pluralistic society. Its ultimate goal is not cultural uniformity, but the development of citizens who are capable of participating fairly and democratically in diverse communities. According to Banks, a strong national identity does not emerge from sameness, but from justice, equality, and the recognition of all cultural groups that form the nation.
This perspective is echoed by Sonia Nieto, another leading expert in multicultural education. Nieto emphasizes that multicultural education is not simply an additional subject inserted into the curriculum. Rather, it is a comprehensive educational approach that influences school culture, teaching methods, and relationships among students and teachers. For Nieto, multicultural education provides space for students’ life experiences, cultural backgrounds, and social realities to be acknowledged and valued. Children are not required to abandon their identities in order to “fit in.” Instead, they are encouraged to explore who they are while learning to respect and collaborate with others who may think, believe, or live differently.
Adding a broader philosophical dimension, Bhikhu Parekh, a prominent thinker on multiculturalism, argues that a healthy society is one that can accommodate diversity without losing its shared values. National identity, according to Parekh, is not static or fixed; it evolves through continuous dialogue among cultures. In this process, education becomes the most important space for intercultural dialogue, particularly for younger generations who will shape the future of society.
Taken together, the views of Banks, Nieto, and Parekh lead to a clear conclusion: schools that implement multicultural education are not dissolving identities or weakening values. On the contrary, they help students develop a deeper awareness of who they are, where they come from, and how they relate to others. Learning in a diverse environment enables children to reflect on their own identities more consciously while gaining the skills needed to live peacefully in a pluralistic world. This is the educational spirit embraced by Global Indonesia School, both in Cilegon and in Sepatan, Tangerang.
Indonesia itself stands as a vivid example of multicultural reality. With more than 300 ethnic groups, hundreds of local languages, and a wide range of cultural and religious traditions, Indonesia was never built on a single identity. From its founding, the nation was shaped by a shared commitment to live together in diversity. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika—Unity in Diversity—is not merely a slogan displayed on national symbols; it is the philosophical foundation of Indonesian nationhood.
Unfortunately, within the education system, diversity is often reduced to symbolic gestures. Wearing traditional costumes on certain days, performing regional dances on stage, or memorizing slogans about unity are meaningful, but insufficient. Multicultural education requires more than ceremonial recognition. It calls for a transformation in perspective, pedagogy, and everyday interaction. It must be practiced consistently in classrooms, school policies, and interpersonal relationships. In other words, multicultural education is not simply taught—it is lived.
This raises an important question: which identities must remain intact when students attend multicultural schools? At least two are essential. First is religious identity. This is safeguarded through religious instruction that respects and nurtures each student’s beliefs and practices. Multicultural education does not relativize faith; it protects the right of every child to practice their religion freely and responsibly.
Second is human identity. At the level of basic humanity—rejection of hatred and violence, opposition to injustice and oppression, resistance to arrogance, fanaticism, lies, and manipulation—all religions and cultures ultimately stand on common ground. Compassion, empathy, honesty, and respect are universal values that transcend cultural boundaries. Multicultural education reinforces these shared principles while honoring differences.
It is precisely at this point that multicultural education reveals its deepest meaning. It does not blur distinctions or weaken identities. Instead, it nurtures diversity within a shared human framework. By doing so, it prepares children not only to succeed academically, but also to grow into individuals who are confident in their identities, respectful of others, and committed to building a just and inclusive society.
-----------------
Robert Bala
Principal of Global Indonesia School 2 Tangerang.
Alumunus Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca Spanyol dan Universidad Complutense de Madrid Spanyol.
