Curriculum May Change, But Gender Perspective Must Not Be Left Behind

Almost every change in education policy in Indonesia sparks debate about the curriculum. Some view curriculum changes as a strategic step to improve education quality, while others see them as a new burden for teachers and schools. This debate often positions the curriculum as the main factor determining educational success or failure. In reality, no matter how perfect a curriculum design is, its success is still determined by how it is implemented in classrooms. This is increasingly relevant to the current direction of Indonesian education policy.

The government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, is no longer focusing on changing the name of the curriculum, but rather on strengthening its implementation through a Deep Learning approach. This approach emphasises a learning process that is mindful, meaningful, and joyful, so that students not only master knowledge but are also able to develop character, think critically, and solve real-life problems (Kemendikdasmen, 2025).

This policy direction shows that true educational transformation does not stop at changing curriculum documents. The biggest challenge lies in how the values contained in the curriculum are genuinely realised through interactions between teachers and students during the learning process. In other words, the quality of education is built not only through what is taught, but also through how the learning process takes place. In daily teaching practice, there are often small habits that are considered normal but actually affect students’ learning experiences. For instance, when a teacher asks students to choose a group leader, classmates spontaneously point to a male student. Conversely, female students are more often trusted to record discussion results or tidy up group reports. No one questions this division of roles because it has become a habit. Even teachers often do not realise that such simple decisions can shape how students view themselves and others.

This example does not mean that teachers are deliberately discriminating. On the contrary, various studies show that bias in learning often appears unconsciously as a result of social values that have long existed in society. UNESCO explains that gender equality in education cannot be sufficiently achieved through equal access to schools, but must also be reflected in the curriculum, learning materials, teaching practices, and classroom interactions that provide equal opportunities for all students to develop (UNESCO, 2020). From the perspective of curriculum sociology, this condition is not a simple issue.

Curriculum expert Michael W. Apple explains that the curriculum is never neutral. The curriculum always carries certain values, ideologies, and viewpoints that are passed on to students through the educational process (Apple, 2004). This means that what students learn comes not only from textbooks or the material delivered by the teacher, but also from habits, school culture, communication patterns, and the treatment they experience every day. This process is known as the hidden curriculum, which refers to the values students learn through experience, rather than through direct lesson material.

When discussing gender perspective in education, the focus is not on contrasting the roles of men and women. A gender perspective actually helps educators reflect on whether all students have received equal opportunities to ask questions, express opinions, lead, collaborate, and show their potential. Thus, a gender perspective is not an agenda outside the curriculum, but part of the effort to realise the curriculum’s own goals, namely delivering learning that is fair, inclusive, and supportive of every student’s development.

The view that the curriculum is the entirety of a student’s learning experience is also put forward by curriculum experts Allan C. Ornstein and Francis P. Hunkins. According to them, the curriculum is not merely a list of subjects or an administrative document regulating what teachers must teach, but all learning experiences designed by the school to help students achieve educational goals (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2018). This understanding shows that interactions in the classroom, the way teachers give opportunities to students, and the culture that develops in schools are inseparable parts of curriculum implementation. If this is the case, then the success of a curriculum cannot be measured solely by the completion of subject matter or high student academic achievement.

The success of a curriculum is also reflected in the extent to which the learning process is able to build a learning environment that respects diversity, provides a sense of security, and opens equal opportunities for every student to develop. A good curriculum not only produces academically intelligent students, but also shapes individuals who are able to respect differences, cooperate, and be responsible as members of society.

This perspective is often forgotten when discussions about the curriculum focus only on structural changes, learning outcomes, or teachers’ administrative tools. In fact, the challenge of education today no longer lies solely in drafting curriculum documents, but in how teachers translate curriculum values.