About Curriculum 2013

The school term  just started about three weeks ago. This year, government finally decided to try out the new designed curriculum, the  2013 curriculum. Thousands of schools, ranging from elementary (SD), junior high (SMP), and senior high (SMA) have participated in this try out. Despite the debate on the lack of preparation and infrastructure, the 2013 curriculum offers many new features in our education system.

Unlike the previous one, the 2013 curriculum will be  IT-based. Ministry of Education and Culture has set up a website to oversee the implementation of the 2013 curriculum. The website provides details of curriculum implementation, including teachers guide and subject materials.

The curriculum, however, scraps Computer or IT from the compulsory high school subjects. Students are not required to sit in the class for computer subject, rather, they can learn it outside classroom. In return, science subjects (mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry) and religion subject have additional one hour contact time each.

For senior high school students, the 2013 curriculum gives them opportunity to learn another subjects from the other major. For example, a student from natural science major can take some subjects in social science or language/culture major, such as sociology or economy. Students can take whichever subject that they like. In fact, students are free to choose major and up to two cross-major subjects as early as they enter senior high school. With this new feature, the Ministry hopes to abolish the paradigm that the students who get into natural science stream are smarter and better than the others.

To implement this new curriculum, the government has budgeted over IDR829 billion. This is part of the 20% of national budget for education sector. Most of the budget is intended for infrastructure such as teachers training and books. However, books distributions are so disorganized that a number of schools do not obtain the books yet. In addition, teachers training was done just several days before the school started. It makes teachers’ preparation for the new curriculum too rush and ineffective.

Many criticisms were leveled against the Ministry for the 2013 curriculum implementation. As the cost is high, lack of preparation has stirred dissatisfaction in the society.  Multiple doubts are directed towards the effectiveness of the curriculum in enhancing students’ skills in the face of less-than-ready teachers and infrastructure. Some even voices their concerns over the possibility of the implementation of the 2013 curriculum as a way for the current government to take credit and use it as a tool for political campaign in 2014.

1. The 2006 Curriculum

      The 2006 Curriculum or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP) is the operational curriculum made and done by each unit of education (KTSP;2007:1). KTSP is arranged based on students’ potential development and needs for now and for the future with the consideration of the local and national interest, and the global requirements with the spirit of the School-Based Management (Manajemen Berbasis Sekolah/ MBS).

      KTSP is developed and arranged based on several principles. First, it is arranged based on the students’ potential, developments, needs, and importance in their environment. Second, it is various and integrated. Various here means that KTSP is arranged based on the students’ characteristics, the situation of the environment, the level and kinds of education, etc; integrated means there is relationship between the main and local subjects., arts, and  technology development. Then it should be relevant to the real life for now and for future. The last is continuous and overall. It means that KTSP should encompass the whole dimension of the competency aspects of knowledge.

      Moreover, the level of the education is also gradual and continuous. For example, in English subject, according to KTSP for English subject Senior High School (2007:277) ‘Senior High School’ graduates should be able to achieve functional level for communication in spoken and written forms. The curriculum is also intended to develop skill of communication that is the skill of understanding and/ or creating spoken and written texts which are realized in four language skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing, in order to be able to communicate fluently and to make discourse in a certain level of literacy. According to teh 2006 Curriculum (KTSP, 2007:1), KTSP is competence Based Curriculum developed by unit of education based on the Standar of Contents and Standard Competence of Graduates, Standard Competence, and Basic Competence.

2. The Curriculum 2013 and the Changing

      Different from the Curriculum 2006 or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP), the curriculum 2013 is the revision of the curriculum 2006,. So, it is still the operational curriculum made and done by each unit of education (KTSP;2007:1). Curriculum 2013 is arranged and developed by seeing the potential students, the developing of era, and the students’ needs. And the important thing is curriculum 2013 offer some models of teaching. Trhee models are suggested by the curriculum 2013, but not only three models, the government also gives special approach that is called scientific approach, (Pemendikbud 81A: 2013). In the assessment teachers must use the authentic assessment. It will be helpful for teachers so that they do not use false assessment since in curriculum 2013, they will also assess the affective aspect. The former curriculum does not give the way how to assess the affective, but the curriculum 2013 has been existed the way how to assess it.

      Curriculum 2013 was implemented in the school year 2013/2014 on specific schools (limited). Curriculum 2013 was officially launched on July 15, 2013 in ministry of  Education and Culture. While, in Ministry of Religion it was begun in July 2014. Something new would have differences with the old curriculum. Basically  the curriculum in 2013 is similar with curriculum 2006. However, it has differences with Curriculum 2006 or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan ( KTSP). Here is the  some differences between curriculum 2013 and curriculum 2006:

In curriculum 2013, education hoped to be more focus on building character. This is evidenced by reduction some subjects in elementary school. In the first until third years students in elementary school will be oriented on nature, social and culture. So, I believe it will be very useful to make students have a strong and good character for their next future.

Curriculum 2013 also apply thematic integrative system in all subjects. I think it’s a good system. Because some subjects as Indonesian language is supposed to be use in all subjects. It will increase student’s knowledge about Indonesian language. Because actually Indonesian language is an applied science. So, by using Indonesian language in all subject will make student understand what exactly the essential from this subject.

In middle school, information and communication technology will not be a subject anymore but it used to be a tool for all subject. So, it hoped can increase student’s soft skill. I think it’s a brilliant idea because I believe it can make students have a good preparation to continue their study on the next level.

I think curriculum 2013 is a good way to increase the output of our education. But the problem now, do we have a good readiness to use this curriculum? Especially for the teachers. Do they ready?  Because as good as a curriculum will not useful if the teachers were not ready. So I hope government must re-think about to increase teacher’s readiness and also about the facilities on the school.

1. Conclusion

      The Curriculum 2013 is one of the ways to encourage, to compete, and to make the national education better. The level of Indonesian education is still under the neighborhood countries. We know that some Malaysian students studied in some Indonesian universities. But now,   many Indonesian students go to Malaysia not only to be labors but also to study. Education is a foundation to make a country only to be a developing country. Like in European countries, their education is much better than our country. So, the solution to make progress in education is a better curriculum. The developing country is good at education. The good education is at a curriculum. A good curriculum will determine some changes. No good education without a curriculum. So, the good curriculum is a compulsory. Now the curriculum 2013 has given some changes to make our education better. This curriculum gives teachers many chances to be more creative and gives students chances to be more active.

2. Suggestion

The implementation of curriculum brings some consequences, as follows:

The government should prepare things which are related to the successful implementation of curriculum

The government should socialize the curriculum 2013 from cities until to villages, in every part of Indonesia

The government should serve the infrastructure for the implementation of curriculum

The government should encourage the motivation of the teachers to imply the new curriculum

The teachers should improve themselves in teaching-learning

The teachers should have a good will to succeed the implementation of curriculum

Refference

Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. 2003. Kurikulum 2004: Standar Kompetensi mata pelajaran Bahasa Inggris SMP/ MTs. Jakarta: DEPDIKNAS

Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. 2007. Kurikulum KTSP: Buku Saku Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan SMP/ MTs: DEPDIKNAS

http://ahsani21.blogspot.co.id/2013/03/my-opinion-about-curriculum-2013.html

http://bdksemarang.kemenag.go.id/the-changing-of-curriculum-from-2006-to-2013/

http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/8813/new-2013-curriculum-for-new-school-year-in-indonesia/