Education Analyst Urges Gov't to Postpone 2013 Curriculum Implementation

Sidoarjo, E Java (Antara) - An education analyst Darmaningtyas urged the Government not to implement the 2013 Curriculum until the year 2014 due to the lack of preparation and cognition of the teachers to carry out the course of study. The 2013 Curriculum was not completely new course of study as it was a combination of the Active Student Learning Process (CBSA) and the School-based Curriculum (KTSP), Darmaningtyas, who is also a member of 2013 Curriculum formulator team, said here on a scientific study forum, Tuesday. The CBSA had failed to meet its goal as the curriculum was emphasizing to create critical pupils. "However, students with critical characteristics often triggered clash with their conservative parents," Darmaningtyas said. Moreover, the stir upon the 2013 curriculum implementation was mainly caused by the unprepared teachers, as most of the teachers have just understood the KTSP but forced to learn and to implement the new curriculum, Darmaningtyas said. "Therefore, it needs more time to make all preparations (for the implementation of the curriculum," Darmaningtyas said. Darmaningtyas basically supported the new curriculum but suggested that the final evaluation was not by the National Exam (UN). "The national exam should only serve as student quality mapping tools," Darmaningtyas said adding that the UN might be conducted not only once but twice a year. Thus, schools with low average UN scores should be improved by more allocated budget and programs. "In certain point, there will be equity on education quality. The recent UN implementation will only trigger discrepancy between favorite schools and the less-favorite ones," Darmaningtyas said. She also opposed the international-standard pilot project schools (RSBIs) as they created bigger gap between rich students and the poor ones. Meanwhile, a special staff of the Minister of Education and Culture, Sukemi, said that the Government would change the mechanism of the UN as the evaluation process in the 2013 curriculum is different. "However, we will do it gradually as the 2013 curriculum will be only implemented for the first grade students of Elementary School, Junior High School and Senior High School," Sukemi said. The Ministry of Education and Culture would hold a national convention on education system to discuss the UN and curriculum alteration, Sukemi said. (*)