New curriculum expected to improve quality of graduates

New curriculum expected to improve quality of graduates

Efforts to reform Indonesia's education began in 1984, when
the government introduced compulsory education for elementary
school students.

The move was the first step toward fulfilling the mandate of
Article 31(1) of the 1945 Constitution, which reads "Every
citizen shall be entitled to receive education."

The decision, although 39 years behind schedule, was aimed at
providing education for all and due to financial conditions, was
limited to elementary education. It was only in 1993 that
compulsory education was extended to junior high school level.

Then came the hardest part, which was to improve the quality
of education. Even as the first phase of compulsory education
started, there were concerns about the quality of education as
the government focused more on providing education to as many
students as possible, in some cases at the expense of quality.
The argument was, quantity first, quality may come later.

The government took another significant step this year by
abolishing the much-criticized nation-wide final exam system
(Ebtanas), allowing schools to run the National Final Test (UAN)
alongside their own final exam. The problem with UAN is that its
results do not guarantee acceptance at the next level of
education. Elementary school students must take an entrance test
to enter the junior high school of their choice, regardless of
their UAN grades. Certainly this consumes a lot of money and
manpower. Why ask students to sit a test when the results don't
mean anything?

Efforts to improve the quality of education and school
graduates, too, have met serious constraints, notably in
reforming the school curriculum. The public has been very
critical of the existing curriculum that was introduced in 1994
that nowhere near fulfills the need to make students fit for
future challenges.

Educator J. Drost has often said that the 1994 curriculum
could only be applied for smart students, while the bulk of
students with average intelligence could not follow the system.

According to Drost's estimate, 70 percent of students do not
study, not because there is a lack of discipline, but because the
curriculum is suitable for only 30 percent of students. In
Drost's view, Indonesia is the only country in the world that
does not provide schooling for ordinary students.

One of the biggest concerns about today's curriculum is that
it is designed to enable high school students to pass university
entrance tests, not to develop students into individuals with a
strong character and personality. Also, as a result of the
Ebtanas, schools have been focusing on certain areas of study,
including mathematics, at the expense of other studies.

In response to growing calls for a better curriculum, the
Ministry of National Education is working to replace it with a
competency-based system for junior and senior high school
students.

With the new curriculum, it is hoped that school graduates
will have competitive and comparative advantages. School
graduates are also expected to have a strong character and
personality and be knowledgeable and skillful.

The government started introducing the new curriculum in March
in 12 elementary schools, 12 junior high schools, and 12 senior
high schools in four provinces as a pilot project.

The ministry, however, acknowledges that the existing
education system has yet to produce graduates with the desired
qualifications. It also admits that student evaluation is simply
based on the results of the final exams, while other indicators,
such as skill, moral values, personality and responsibility are
ignored.