The Education Curriculum in Indonesia

The education in our country still be apprehensive if we compare it with another countries like: South Korean, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, India, China, Malaysia or the other countries that have the experience of progress in education. In one side, the education in Indonesia faced the big problems, while in another side the challenge to enter the modern era cannot with playing.

According to Sudarminta, SJ: the problem that faced by Indonesian education is about, the quality of our education still weak, The learning system in schools not satisfy yet, the moral crisis still feced by Indonesian. While the challenge that faced still exist to enter the modern era need to undertake to get: the perceptive education to the rivalry situation and the global cooperation. The education that can create the people have the ability to face the long life education. The education that aware and undertake how the important of the education value.

Former minister national of education Abdul Malik Fajar admitted the true judgment that Indonesian educational system very bad in Asia. With the condition of government right now still make a responsible the high crisis. Do not exact when we wait the policy from the central government to fix the condition of our education right now, until all of the elements have the responsibility about the condition and the educational system in our country have to follow to think how the way in order Indonesian education fell the progress like another countries.

Based on the explanation above, we have the mistake if we do not follow to have the responsibility with the educational system in our loving country. Besides that, we will se the Indonesian curriculum of education, already several years fell the curriculum reformation, it is from 1975, 1984, 1994, 2004 and KTSP 2006 until now.

One of the big issues that faced in Indonesia is about the curriculum. The quality of our education is weak not only because of the change of curriculum and minister but also actually because we cannot be patient in implementing the curriculum. Actually the curriculum in Indonesia still good, only just less of implementing. As the example in 2004 the curriculum called KBK, this curriculum stated that the teaching learning process do not dominated by teachers, but have to communicative. This curriculum also emphasizes that the learning system have to pay attention about the students ability, because each student has the deifferences ability, so every student will gets the differences treatment. For example the students who like Mathematic, always help their ability, while the unability students will help with the subject that they like. So there is no the word stupid students because cannot follow the mathematic subject. Every students let them to develop suitable with their ability. Right now, What happen ? on e curriculum doesn't run well, but the government that in this context the minister of education changed by KTSP, actually the content from the curriculum it is same.

The curriculum in Indonesia doesn't have the exact concept, so the result is the students and teachers were confused. The curriculum always change and doesn't stays in long time. As we know, right now when many students and teachers will enjoy the curriculum, not in long time the curriculum will changed. This problem always happen until the government faced the good problem solver. When the minister of education changed, the curriculum also changed. The minister of education right now is Mr. Bambang Sudibyo we hope that the curriculum when he lead the education in Indonesia will give the good consideration.

In this critism we will see the content from the curriculum, so we will know the weakness and the strengh each curriculum. When the curriculum designed systematic and comprehensive also integrity with all of the necessity the developing and learning the students, of course the out put of education will able to create the hope. But if not, the fail by fail will always follow the education.
Curriculum is the set of planning and controlling about the content of subject also the way that used as the guidance to implement the teaching learning process. The curriculum known as educational program that be planned and implemented in reaching out for the aim of education.

Curriculum also as the basic guidance in teaching learning process in education. Success or not the education, able or not the student and the teacher in adopting and giving the lesson. When the curriculum designed sistematic and comprehensive also integrity with all of the student developing and learning necessity to prepare the self to face the life

Now, the function and the development role of curriculum. In teaching learning activity the curriculum is really important, because with the curriculum the students will get the benefit. Nevertheless, besides the curriculum given the benefit to the students, it has the functions, they are: in reaching of the aim of education. The curriculum in one school is a tool or the effort to achieve the aim of education in school. That means, when the hope of education not achieve yet, the people will recheck the tool that used to achieve the aim, for example to check the curriculum. In achieving the curriculum that hope, the aims have to be achieved with many consecutive levels and supported each other. While, the existing of curriculum here as the tool to achieve the aim.

The function of curriculum for the students. The existing of curriculum as the arrangement learning organization it is a preparing for the students. The students hoped will get a lot of new experiences which then developed with the students development. In order can fill the stoct of their life.

As the tool to achieve the aim of education, curriculum hoped able to order the programs to the students which live in their era, with the differences social history and culture backgrond.
We also have to know the function of curriculum for the teachers. The teachers is the professional educator which implisitly have already to get the part of education responsibility. Now, the function of curriculum for the teachers is for the work guidance in arranging and organizing the experiences of students learning. Next, as the guidence to have the evaluation for the development of students in adopting the experience that given by teachers.
With the existing of curriculum, of course the assignment of teacher as the educator more guided. The educator one of the factor that determine and very important in educational process and one of the component which interact actively with the students in education.

Curriculum is the tool to achieve the aim of education which expected able to alleviate part of the assignment from the teachers in effective and efficient teaching learning process, in order that the curriculum has the function as the guidence. The guidence that become the tool to achieve the aim of education, because including the various kinds of programs that will implement in the school. From how to implement the programs until who will gets the responsibility in implementing it and what the tool needed.

The function of curriculum for the headmaster. Headmaster is the administrator and supervisor who has the responsibility to the curriculum. The function of curriculum for headmaster and another manager is, as the guidence in supervising to correct the learning situation. Next, as the guidence in supervising to create the learning situation more good. As the guidence in supervising the teachers. As the guidence in administrator. As the guidence to have the evaluation of learning progress.

The function of curriculum for the parents. Curriculum functioned as the partisipate from the parents to help the effort of school to progress their children. By reading the school curriculum, the parents can understand learning experiences that needed by their childen, so the partisipation of parentn is important to success teaching learning process in the school.
The function of curriculum for the public. By knowing the curriculum in one school, the public will follow to givethe contribution in implementing the education programs which needed the cooperation with parents and public. Always give the critism and constructive suggestion
We also have to know the role of the curriculum developer. Curriculum has a big responsibility to the education. At least, there are 3 kinds the roles of curriculum: first, conservative role. the curriculum can we say conservative because to translate the social inheritance to the the students and the next young generation. Second, critism and evaluative role. that mean the curriculum besides bequeath the value to the next young generation also as the tool to evaluate the exist culture. Third, creative role. Curriculum have to do the creative and constructive activity, in order to create and arrange the new one which suitable with the future and now necessity in public.

Three roles above have to implement in balancing, as the result created the harmony among the roles. Thus, curriculum can fill the time demand and the condition to help the students go in the direction of the future cukture, so they have already to be the perseptive generation.
Right now, a lot of Indonesian was studying abroad. They go to the best country of it's educational, it is like Finland. We can say it because Finland has the good curriculum which is can develop the students. The other countries have the good curriculum are United States, England, etc. The reason why they were studying abroad is because the curriculum arranged systematic. Preferable the indonesian curriculum be equal with abroad. here the example of adopting curriculum, one of the school that adopts the curruiculum from abroad is Karangturi National school, until right now Karangturi National school has already second year to adopt the curriculum from Cambridge from England.

According to Executive Director of Karangturi National School Harry Santoso, The international curriculum that used in three classess that for the students who will continue the study to abroad.

The adoption of curriculum also happaned in Daniel Creative School (DCS) which has the playgroup untik Kindegarden. According to the headmaster of Daniel Creative School (DCS) Herawati, the curriculum that used is creative learning from United States.


Our expectation is the Indonesian do not just studying abroad. They have to study in Indonesia with all of the instruments of education. The government has to announce to the Indonesian to love their country, although with the limitation curriculum. In order the Indonesian who will be success without studying abroad, so Indonesia has to adopt the curriculum from another country and compare it with Indonesian curriculum. Although the curriculum from another country could be better, Indonesia has to be careful in adopting it in its educational system.

List of References:

Sukorini. Indriati, S. Pd, Dampak perubahan kurikulum pendidikan terhadap mutu pendidikan di indonesia. Indriatisukorini's blog, March 16th, 2009

Karangasem. Deuz, Masalah Kurikulum, January 20th, 2008, E-Mail: rhs@plasa.com

Roezman, Permasalahan Kurikulum di Indonesia, 2007, yahoo answers

Ric/Isk, Jawa pos, Kurikulum Luar Negeri Janjikan Kualitas?, Radar Semarang, Kamis, 24 Juli 2008,