INDONESIAN BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM
CURRENT CONTENT AND REFORM*
Agus Dharma, PhD
Board Member from Indonesia
Background
1. The vision of Indonesian education is the realization of educational system as a solid and authoritative social institution to empower Indonesian citizen to become intelligent persons that are able and proactive to stand facing the ever changing challenges of the era. They are bright (spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually, and kinesthetically) and competitive citizens. The educational system encompasses all form, type, and level of education: formal, non-formal, and in-formal.
2. Basic education in Indonesia provides nine years learning experience in both formal and non-formal education for 7- 15 school age children. The goal of basic education is to develop learners’ basic intelligence, knowledge, personality, noble character, as well as skills to live independently and to continue their education.
3. Basic education is conducted in elementary school and junior high school (both public and religious type of schooling called madrasah = madrasah ibtidaiyah for elementary school and madrasah tsanawiyah for junior high school). While public elementary and junior high scholl are managed based on the policies established by the Ministry of National Education (MONE) and operationally controlled by otonomous local/district/town administration, the madrasahs are managed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs through its local (district/town) offices troughout Indonesia.
4. The nine years basic education is compulsory. At present the number of student attending elementary and junior high school is 7.864.650 and 3.839.023 consecutively and the number of elementary school is 44.154 and junior high school is 12.932 (public and private). Net participation rate at elementary school is about 95% and gross participation rate at junior high is 92%. This include students attending the madrasah. The total number of teachers at elementary and junior high scholl (public and private) is 1.531.193.
5. The successful implementation of basic education program is, among other things, relied heavily on qualified teachers in managing their students learning experience based on well developed curriculum.
6. Traditionally the MONE played a central role of curriculum development in Indonesia. Schools (teachers) involvement played only small operational portion of the role. The teachers were supposed to go along with all instructions neatly prepared guidance of curriculum implementation by the MONE. The main task specified to teachers in curriculum planning was to merely prepare lesson plan of a subject based on implementation and technical instruction. The old curriculum is subject (materials) and teacher oriented regardless learners potential, development stage, needs, interest, and environment.
7. Since 2006 (in decentralization era) Indonesia has been implementing competency base school level curriculum based on national standard of education (content and competence standards in particular) considering the goal of a certain level of education, learning experiences that should be provided to achieve the goal, the methods used to manage the learning experiences, and methods of evaluation to measure the goal achievement. The new curriculum is learners’ and competency oriented and implemented by paying attention to learners potential, development stage, needs, interest, and environment.
8. The new policy on curriculum, among other things, is intended to empower teachers to develop down to earth learning activities relevant to the learners’ need, actual condition of the school, as well as the necessity to link it to the environment. Central Government provides guidance in developing competency base school level curriculum. The Curriculum Center at the Office of Educational Research and Development of the MONE helps the schools develop their own curriculum by providing curriculum models that can be implemented at school level. Training centers of the MONE have been conducting training sessions for school principals and teachers in developing competency base school level curriculum.
Legal Framework of School Curriculum
1. The National Education System Act (No 20/2003) provides legal framework of curriculum implemented in Indonesia. The Minister of National Education decrees No 22 and 23/2006 establish the content standard and graduate competences standard in developing curriculum. The standards are established by the Office of National Standard of Education.
2. The Act defines curriculum as a set of plan with regard to the objectives, content, and learning materials as well as the methods employed as guideline in conducting learning activities in order to achieve the goal of a certain education.
3. The curriculum of primary (basic) and secondary education must include religious education, citizenship, languages, mathematics, natural science, social science, art and culture, physical education and sport, skills/vocational education, and local content. The curriculum is basically developed based on diversified principles related to educational unit, regional potential, and the learners.
4. The curriculum is developed according to the level of education in the frame of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia in the efforts to improve religious faith, character; learners’ potential, intelligence, and interest; the variety of regional potential and environment; the demand of regional and national development; the employment demand, the development of science, knowledge, technology, and art; religion, the dynamic of global development, national unity and values.
5. Basic framework and structure of primary and secondary education curriculum are established by the Central Government. Primary education curriculum is developed in accordance with its relevance by individual school (or alike)/madrasah committee (school level curriculum) coordinated and supervised by the district office of education (local government) and district office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Basic Framework of Curriculum and Competency
1. Subject Cluster and Scope
a. Religion and noble character
This subject is intended to develop learners to become religiously devoted individuals who posses noble character. The noble characters consist of ethics, good conduct in life, or morality as the realization of religious education.
b. Citizenship and personality
This subject is intended to develop learners’ awareness and knowledge with regard to their status, rights, and obligations in community, state, and nation; as well as to improve their quality as human being. The awareness and knowledge include nationality, spirit and patriotism in defending their nation, appreciation of human rights, nation diversity, environment conservation, gender equality, democracy, social responsibility, as well as the promotion of behaviors against corruption, collusion, and nepotism.
c. Science and technology
Science and technology at elementary school is intended to introduce, react, and appreciate science and technology, as well as to instill habits of critical, creative, and independent scientific thinking and behavior. Science and technology at junior high school is intended to develop basic competency in knowledge and science as well as to enhance the learners’ habit of scientific thinking critically, creatively, and independently.
d. Aesthetics
This subject cluster is intended to develop learners’ sensitivity as well as ability to express and appreciate beauty and harmony. The ability to appreciate and express beauty and harmony consists of appreciation and expression, both in individual life that enable learners to enjoy and be grateful of life and in community that enable them to create togetherness and harmony.
e. Physical, sport, and health
This subject cluster at elementary school is intended to develop learners’ physical potential as well as to implant the spirit of sportsmanship and awareness of healthy life. This subject cluster at junior high school is intended to enhance the learners’ physical potential as well as to strengthen the habits of sportive and healthy life.
2. Competences standards for elementary school graduate:
a. To act on their religious teachings with regard to the stage of child development.
b. To know one’s weaknesses and strengths.
c. To obey social rules in their environment.
d. To appreciate religion, culture, ethnics, racial, and socio-economics differences in their environment.
e. To use information of their environment logically, critically, and creatively.
f. To demonstrate the ability to think logically, critically, and creatively with the guidance of their teachers.
g. To demonstrate high sense of inquiry and awareness of their potentials.
h. To demonstrate ability to solve simple problems in their daily life.
i. To demonstrate ability to identify natural and social phenomena in their environment.
j. To demonstrate affection and care about their environment.
k. To demonstrate affection and proud of their nation, state, and homeland.
l. To demonstrate ability in local art and cultural activities.
m. To demonstrate habits to live clean, healthy, fresh, and safe and to take advantage of spare time.
n. To communicate clearly and politely.
o. To work together in group, help each other, and protect themselves in their home and peer group.
p. To demonstrate eagerness to read and write.
q. To demonstrate skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and arithmetic.
3. Competences standards for junior high school graduate:
a. To act on their religious teachings according to their pre-adolesence stage of development.
b. To demonstrate self-confidence.
c. To obey social rules in their broader environment.
d. To appreciate religious, cultural, ethnics, racial, and socio-economics differences in national scope.
e. To search and impleme