Bahasa Indonesia No Longer the Language of Thought in Schools

Many Indonesian students find themselves tongue-tied when asked to explain their reasoning, not due to a lack of knowledge, but an inability to articulate their thoughts. This phenomenon occurs even though Bahasa Indonesia is a mandatory subject, where students learn grammar, text structures, and linguistic rules.

The current educational approach often positions language as a subject to be mastered, rather than a vital tool for developing cognitive skills. The act of explaining an idea, constructing an argument, or questioning a viewpoint is, in essence, an act of reasoning through language. Language shapes thought, and a deficiency in language skills can hinder critical thinking development.

This disconnect is evident daily: a student can solve a math formula but misinterprets a word problem, or memorizes science concepts but cannot explain a phenomenon in their own words. In class discussions, many students remain silent, not for lack of opinion, but due to uncertainty about how to express it.

Bahasa Indonesia education needs a paradigm shift. It should move beyond mere grammatical correctness to become a space for students to practice connecting facts, building arguments, offering critiques, and engaging with differing perspectives. This aligns with cognitive science, which views language as a tool for knowledge construction and reality comprehension.

However, the current emphasis on curriculum completion often squeezes out opportunities for discussion and argumentation. Students become accustomed to receiving answers rather than constructing them, hindering the growth of critical thinking, which is cultivated through consistent dialogue and inquiry.