Strengthening teacher competence key to inclusive education, says ministry
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has stated that strengthening teacher competence in the digitalisation of learning is a key factor in realising an inclusive education transformation.
Director General of Secondary Education and Special Education at Kemendikdasmen, Tatang Muttaqin, said that organising technical guidance on learning digitalisation for teachers at special education schools (SLB), such as in Central Java, is part of the ministry’s effort to ensure that the education transformation has a tangible impact on students with special needs.
“This technical guidance is a strategic step by the Directorate of PKPLK to ensure that the transformation of education in the digital context is increasingly inclusive, adaptive, and at the same time has a real impact on students with disabilities,” Tatang said in a written statement in Jakarta on Thursday.
He said that over four days, teachers received training on the use of Interactive Flat Panels (IFP), the development of learning videos, the creation of educational games, and the use of the ‘Rumah Pendidikan’ (Education House) platform as a space for sharing best practices. Tatang added that participants were also required to produce learning products and share the knowledge gained with other teachers in their learning communities.
On a separate occasion, Vice Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Fajar Riza Ul Haq, said that the success of inclusive education is largely determined by the teacher’s ability to understand the needs of each child.
“In inclusive education, it is not the child who is asked to adapt to the teacher, but rather how the teacher adapts to the child’s ability to digest a lesson,” Fajar said.
According to Fajar, the distribution of Interactive Flat Panels (IFP) holds a significance far greater than merely providing technological learning devices. “The presence of IFP bridges the gap for them to access more varied teaching media according to their respective needs,” he stated.