Curriculum 2013 and ‘the fences eating the plants’

 Officers from the state educational technical implementation unit (UPTD) together with the principals of several Bekasi subdistrict elementary schools went to Bali recently to visit its state elementary schools.

 Looking at the “title” of the activity, there seemed to be absolutely nothing wrong. Wanting to greater develop their own institutions they wanted to use the experience to learn the systems that could not be found in the Greater Jakarta area.

 However, the decision to go on this trip beggars the question; “Why go to Bali?” And perhaps more importantly, “How was a trip like this possible?” Now, if we take in to consideration the limited funds and poor facilities at state-owned schools: How could they afford the trip at all?

 Two weeks prior to the group’s departure, I was informed that our school finance officer had been asked to pay around Rp 6.5 million (US$669.4) to the local UPTD. The cash was earmarked to buy books for our library.

 Strangely, the books were sourced from one publisher and we never knew what books we were to receive or if we really needed them or not.

 Characteristically, for this country, if you want your school to be “safe” there should be no questions asked and whatever materials you need to operate a school legally in this country must be obtained through the UPTD office. Your dependence will be more if your school receives grants from the state such as the school block grant (Bantuan Operasional Sekolah, BOS).

 It has been a week since we accepted the Rp 6.5 million price tagged books. But, we have not opened the package yet and it is likely we will never.

 Some teachers have commented after looking at the package, “Did they really cost Rp 6.5 million?” There is an unspoken pain that hangs around these teachers — professionals who are underpaid despite working hard from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. every single day.

 It must be acknowledged that small and big publishers alike have to deal with state officials and state schools or private schools and corrupt management.

 Consequently, idealist teachers or school administrators face only two choices: to swim in the turbid water or to find another school and job, if one is available.

 Welcoming the 2013 Curriculum, which is now in the socialization phase, we could assume the same “corrupt” incidents will inevitably occur more.

 While the level of dependence of schools on state officials has been reduced in the school-based curriculum (KTSP), the new one conversely requires more intervention from various other offices.

 Beside local offices, there are other institutions that will be more involved, such as the State Teachers’ Training Center (LPTK) and the State Educational Quality Control Agency (LPMP).

 One of the main problems Indonesian education faces is the quality and integrity of the teachers and school administrators, there will be excessive “transactional” affairs between them and the state educational officers or individuals working for the agencies.

 I could not imagine how the senior teachers or administrators with limited informational and computer technology will deal with the new sophisticated but naïve requirements. Behavior will likely mirror what we, unfortunately, see at the teacher certification level.

 Whereby, some, individuals try hard to pass the process and others exploit the multiple transactional shortcuts: either bribing the trainers or by paying other teachers or persons to prepare the things they need.

 Even regarding the officers themselves, more comically, it is frequently found that school supervisors, often former school principals, could not use Microsoft Power Point and would suddenly end their presentation and call time. More saddening, is the recurrence of individuals who do not understand what they are talking about.

 For school administrators, however, regardless of the degree of quality given by educational officers, they should continue to pay respect but through another kind of transaction, for example an envelope with certain amount of money every time they come. It is absolutely necessary to ease their experience whenever they deal with them.

 The “well-trained teachers” often assist (or coach) their colleagues in teaching, we therefore must be aware of another transaction that might happen.

 Beside unnecessary individual gratification, a “copy and paste” practice has mushroomed, especially, since the endorsement of school accreditation.

 However, with the difficulty of teaching administration faced by many teachers, regarding both quantity and quality, the practice is the best shortcut.

 With the greater possibility of pagar makan tanaman or the fences eating the plants — where the guardians oppositely exploit the guarded ones — we should consider implementing the 2013 Curriculum soon.

 Besides the fact that the new curriculum appears to be substantially more theological and without scientific method coherence, we should make a better choice.

  It is not about being laggards, less patriotic or unreligious regarding the curriculum innovation, but it is more than the innovation itself that will potentially make more mess.

 Likewise, we are really in need of trustful guardians who think of how better education should be instead of merely managing illegal paths to raise funds to amuse themselves in Bali.

Khairil Azhar ; 

A School Manager and A Researcher

at Paramadina Foundation, Jakarta

JAKARTA POST, 02 Maret 2013

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