The Importance of EFL Teaching in Hindu Gurukula Modern System Si Luh Nyoman Seriadi Universitas Hindu Negeri IGBS Denpasar Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Education is a significant factor in building civilization. A civilization or a country will advance rapidly when its education system gives such a significant contribution to the development of Human Resources. The advancement of a nation determined by the extent of the educational institution which has succeeded in building its human being into a superior human being to be a dignified world citizen. Hindu civilization dramatically emphasizes the importance of education. In the history of Sanatana Dharma, training gets an enormous portion along with the building of the concept of gurukula, where teachers and sisya are living together in an educational institution. Moreover, when the West has not found an established educational system, India has built the world's earliest university Thaksashila or Taxila with a highly developed teaching system. But the progress of civilization in the past has not always been well inherited in the next era. Currently, Hindus, especially in Indonesia, are faced with Hindu-based education that can answer global challenges. Not only prosecuted to build superior human resources but educational institutions required to master technology as a worldwide phenomenon. Hindu educational institutions were requested to be capable of becoming a modern gurukula as well as capable of realizing superior human resources. Therefore, to answer the requirements of global challenges, students in gurukula must be able to overcome the language barrier. They have to be able to communicate well in English. Hence, the EFL(English as Foreign Language) Teaching becomes an essential part of the Hindu Gurukula Modern system. Keywords: EFL Teaching, gurukula, education I. INTRODUCTION Speaking of human resources, Indonesia is ranked 121. This ranking Indonesia has also not yet reached an has increased from 2012, which was optimal level in the ranking of ranked 124. However, when competitiveness. The 2013 Human compared to the G-20 group, Development Index issued by UNDP Indonesia is in ranking number two at or known as the Indonesian Human the bottom. Australia is rated 2, Development Index (HDI), measures America (3), Germany (5), Japan (10), the quality of life of a country in terms Canada (11), United Kingdom (26), of education, health, and life and France (20), Russia (55), Brazil expectancy. Based on data published (85), and china ( 101). While in the by BPS (Indonesian Central Statistics ASEAN group, Indonesia's human Agency) in 2014, from 167 countries, resource competitiveness ranks below 12 Yavana Bhāshā: Journal of English Language Education March 2020, Volume 3, Issue 1 Singapore (9), Brunei Darussalam communities globally. Learning (30), Malaysia (62), Thailand (89) (BPS, English / EFL Teaching needs to be 2014: 28). Meanwhile, according to the applied in the modern Hindu 2016 UNDP report, for 2015, the Gurukula system, so that students Indonesian HDI was 0.689. This gain tremendous benefit from the number places Indonesia in the fusion of the Gurukula system of category of medium human teaching and learning the English development and ranks 113th out of language that can be useful in their 188 countries and regions. The value future life. of HDI increased by 30.5 percent from the amount in 1990. The low II. MATERIAL AND METHODS competitiveness of human resources This paper is the result of a requires Indonesia to make review of the Vedic Education system improvements to the education library in the form of the gurukula and system. its thinking in the modern context of Hindus also assume the importance of English in this responsibility for human resource modern era. In Bali, there are several development through systems of Gurukula Education systems such as education. Although the modern the Bali Mandara Singaraja School, Hindu education system in India has Pasraman Gurukula Bangli, and a long history, in Indonesia, Hindus several gurukula being built to continue to improve and build a more prepare Hindu human resources in established education system the future. Likewise, in Indonesia, following global challenges. The there are some Hindu Education education of ancient gurukula must Institutions that should seriously transform into modern gurukula, include English as a necessity at this which combines spiritual knowledge time. This study examines the context and science as a prerequisite in facing of the importance of teaching English global challenges today (Surpi, in the modern Hindu Education 2017:172). It is also vital to use the system. language of instruction in the form of international communications and III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION languages that are recognized by the 3.1 Importance of Hindu Gurukula United Nations. Because in modern Modern System relationships, Hindu human Hindu education system resources must prepare more to be emphasizes holistic learning between able to communicate globally. divine knowledge (truth/spirituality) Therefore, EFL learning is as a human development from within. essential to be able to meet these This Divine Knowledge is an criteria. English as a global language educational effort that touches the is the determining language for most profound aspects of humanity, removing students' language barriers building human excellence from when later communicating with other within. Meanwhile, knowledge, Yavana Bhāshā: Journal of English Language Education 13 March 2020, Volume 3, Issue 1 science, and skills are education from brilliant in the Vedic civilization. So, outside the self to create an entirely one must consider how to advance superior human being. So ideally, Hindu education in Indonesia so that Hindu-based education must build it can become an established human strength from within and from educational institution that adapted to outside the human nature itself current conditions (Surpi, 2017:173). (spiritual and scientific). Upanisad In the Hindu context, the asserted the goal of human education education system must provide to make a better, purer, more refined, education and knowledge to the and more profound desire is the first students of knowledge and skills, goal of education. Thus, the task of have the ability to distinguish good educational institutions is to develop and evil, have forward-looking humans into ideal human beings insight, be wise, be able to become (Singh, 2005: 79). This means community leaders, successors of strengthening character, controlling truth, brilliant orators, advance desire and drive, increasing the power science, educate the morality of the of concentration and will is the goal of sisya and condition that students education. follow the teachings of the Vedas and The struggle of Hindus in protect sacred traditions. Indonesia for the improvement of the In the history of humankind, the Hindu Education System has just importance of education in the Vedic experienced a step forward with the civilization shown the formation of a issuance of the Minister of Religion traditional education system in the Regulation of the Republic of form of the gurukula or ashram since Indonesia Number 56 of 2014 ancient times where Acarya / teacher concerning Hindu Religious and sisya lived together to get a full Education. This is a struggle and education. This education system is awaiting almost 56 years after the very brilliant where the students learn establishment of the Parisadha Hindu directly from the teachers by living Dharma Indonesia in 1959, Hindus in together, seeing and imitating the Indonesia are longing for the dharma lifestyle of the teachers, and establishment of Vedic-based Hindu studying in full the branches of Vedic education. The birth of PMARI must knowledge accompanied by learning make all Hindu universities in philosophy, ethics and also moral Indonesia to improve and realize the directly. So the learning system is very format of Hindu education that is intensive and happy. Besides, the good for now and the future. Hindus importance of education is indicated must learn much from the success of by the existence of the oldest other parties in managing religious university in the world, Thakshasila education so that it becomes a or Taxila. It is estimated to stand prestigious educational institution. In between 1000 B.C to 500 A.D (Apte, the past, the ancient Hindu education 1949: 8). Thakshasila combines system, the Gurukula, was very traditional and modern education 14 Yavana Bhāshā: Journal of English Language Education March 2020, Volume 3, Issue 1 systems. The existence of Thakshasila technology, the Hindu tertiary is supported by a library that has a institution becomes a campus that fantastic collection of books. Both the prints superior Hindu human Gurukula in the past and Thaksasila resources with religious qualifications University have a teaching system and an established Brahma Widya, that combines the intelligence of mastering Tarka Sastra which is reason, mastery of knowledge and synergized with the development of superiority of character. John science, technology as well as the Marshall, who has researched for 20 other soft skills such as leadership, years in Thaksasila, revealed that rhetoric, ability to work together. This Thaksasila is a remarkable historical is important because Hindu HR does legacy with the discovery of various not only require superior character as historical objects, buildings and a a Hindu educational entity but can highly organized