Prof. Juntika emphasized this during a public lecture at the Academic Orientation for Professional Teacher Education (PPG) Students in Category I, Batch III, 2023, on Thursday, November 16, 2023, at the Hall of Light Ballroom, GH Universal Hotel, Jl. Dr. Setiabudi No.376, Bandung.
In essence, he further stated, be a true educator in accordance with the Indonesian national character, Pancasila, which firmly adheres to the values of Belief in the One and Only God, Just and Civilized Humanity, Unity of Indonesia, People’s Sovereignty led by the wisdom of deliberations among representatives, and Social Justice for all the people of Indonesia.
He emphasized, “These values must be firmly held by teachers so that teachers can be respected and emulated in the life of the nation and state as well as in the global context.”
Prof. Juntika reiterated that to change human behavior, including students, and to keep up with current developments, one must understand the characteristics of child development in today’s era. This ensures that we adhere to values considered good by our nation. However, in its implementation, we must understand why they behave the way they do; there are always factors, there are always causes. This is why it is important for a professional teacher to understand the factors causing the mismatch between behavior and reality because education seeks to make that behavior ideal. Regardless of the issues in society, teachers must align with the ideal norms of the Indonesian nation, namely Pancasila—being flexible, adaptable, yet principled.
“We want UPI to be a pioneer and excel in Teacher Professional Education. One of the things that must be developed is the professional ability of teachers with good personal integrity. This is the role model that we must continue to cultivate at UPI because UPI is the only institution in quotes that prints and develops professional education, which must be leading and outstanding,” he concluded.