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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOne of the main culprits is the explosion in the influence of social media. Generations Z and Alpha, born in the smartphone era, have grown up with a norm of \u2018free expression\u2019 that often leads to toxic behaviour. A 2025 study by the Centre for Digital Society at UGM found that 78% of secondary school students in Surabaya spend more than five hours a day on TikTok and Instagram, where content such as \u2018roasting teachers\u2019 or \u2018teacher-shouting challenges\u2019 has gone viral with millions of views. A real-life example: the 2024 viral case at State High School 5 in Surabaya, where a video of students mocking a teacher with abusive language was viewed 2.5 million times, sparking a new norm that insulting authority figures is \u201ccool\u201d. Child psychologist Dr Rina Wijayanti from Airlangga University, in her 2025 journal article, analysed that exposure to such content reduces students\u2019 empathy by up to 35%, as the platform\u2019s algorithms prioritise drama to boost engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It doesn\u2019t stop there; family factors also play a major role. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this decline. A 2024 report by UNICEF Indonesia states that 45% of parents in major cities such as Surabaya have failed to teach their children to respect their teachers, as priorities have shifted towards gadgets acting as carers. The result? Pupils return home from school and immediately \u2018report\u2019 to their parents via chat, often exaggerating the teachers\u2019 mistakes. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) for 2025 shows that the family welfare index for teachers has fallen by 18% since 2020, making pupils\u2019 parents feel economically \u2018superior\u2019, so that traditional courtesies such as the \u2018teacher\u2019s greeting\u2019 are being abandoned. In the villages of East Java, this tradition remains strong\u2014only 22% of cases of breaches of etiquette are reported, in contrast to 68% in urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Formal education has also gone astray. The Merdeka Curriculum, launched in 2022, was intended to be flexible, but without a strong emphasis on character education (PPK), it has instead created a situation where pupils \u2018lecture\u2019 their teachers. The results of the OECD\u2019s 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for Indonesia: the score for respect and cooperation among students was only 412 points, below the global average of 480. Further analysis from PISA 2025 adds that 55% of Indonesian students view \u201cteachers as peers\u201d, rather than authoritative figures\u2014an attitude that actually undermines academic discipline. Compare this with Singapore, where the PISA respect score reached 550, thanks to the mandatory \u2018Respect for Teachers\u2019 programme starting from primary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The consequences? It is not just teachers who suffer, but the entire education ecosystem that is collapsing. A study by the Education Research Centre of the Ministry of Education and Culture\u2019s Research and Development Agency (Balitbang Kemdikbud) in 2025 found that schools with high levels of misconduct saw a 28% decline in academic performance, due to teacher burnout\u201472% of secondary school teachers reported chronic stress caused by a lack of respect. Nationally, teacher turnover stands at 15% per year, the highest in ASEAN. Imagine: students who do not respect their teachers will struggle to respect themselves, let alone their nation. This is a low point that threatens SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 16 (peace and justice).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don\u2019t be too quick to despair. There is a way forward, and we can start right now. Firstly, schools must undergo a revolution through \u2018Digital Etiquette Classes\u2019. A pilot programme run by the Education Department in 2025 at 50 senior secondary schools in East Java successfully reduced incidents by 40% within six months, through weekly workshops on social media etiquette and simulations of respectful dialogue. Teachers were trained to act as facilitators of empathy, not as authoritarian figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, involve parents on a large scale. The Ministry of Education and Culture\u2019s \u201cTeachers Are Family Heroes\u201d campaign could be expanded via apps such as \u201cOrami Guru\u201d, where parents can monitor their children\u2019s progress whilst learning about proper conduct. Success data from Malaysia shows that a similar programme has reduced misconduct by 52% since 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirdly, the government must be firm yet wise. Law No. 14 of 2005 on Teachers and Lecturers requires amendment to include progressive sanctions for breaches of etiquette, ranging from counselling to social media suspension. Furthermore, the PPK budget should be increased by 30% in the 2026 State Budget, focusing on the \u201c3S\u201d culture: Greetings, Affection, and Gratitude towards teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fourthly, the role of the community. Influencers and communities such as the \u2018Gerakan Guru Mulia\u2019 on TikTok can turn the narrative around: positive content about inspiring teachers\u2019 stories, with a target of 10 million views. In Surabaya, the local ethnobotany community\u2014which I have observed as a researcher\u2014has successfully integrated the values of etiquette into traditional nature education, and could serve as a model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, let us reflect. Etiquette is not outdated, but the foundation of civilisation. Like the banyan tree in Surabaya\u2019s town square with its deep roots, respecting teachers is the root of our education. If this low point is left unchecked, future generations will lose their way. But if we act now, we can create a renaissance of etiquette\u2014classrooms filled with respect, high-achieving students, and enthusiastic teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be part of the solution. Start with a morning greeting to your teacher tomorrow. For, as Ki Hajar Dewantara said, \u201cIng ngarsa sung tuladha, ing madya mangun karso, tut wuri handayani\u201d\u2014the teacher leads by example, inspires in the midst, and offers encouragement from behind. It is time we put this into practice once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Writer: Hery Purnobasuki, Professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology<\/a>, Universitas Airlangga<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are times when a teacher stands at the front of the class, enthusiastically delivering a lesson, yet the students are busy scrolling through TikTok, posting snide comments in WhatsApp groups, or even daring to shout back. This is no longer merely a horror story from viral news reports, but a bitter reality that is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":400378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-400654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\n