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The week in review: Waiting for change
Since the New Order era, the maxim ânew minister, new curriculumâ has characterized the ministry tasked with dealing with educational affairs
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ince the New Order era, the maxim 'new minister, new curriculum' has characterized the ministry tasked with dealing with educational affairs.
That maxim looks to have held true once again, as Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan suspended the 2013 national curriculum on Monday and asked schools across the archipelago to return to the 2006 curriculum starting early next year.
The 2013 curriculum, the legacy of Anies' predecessor Mohammad Nuh, drew harsh criticism for creating confusion among students, parents and teachers, who complained about the extra work it demanded.
Many teachers said the one-year trial was not sufficient for implementing the new curriculum, which replaced the 2006 curriculum. The ministry says the 2013 curriculum needs revamping, especially concerning the compatibility of the curriculum's objectives and school textbooks.
Although he admitted that the curriculum overhaul would potentially create chaos, Anies said such a move would spare parents and students from the long-term impacts of educational mismanagement. Many experts and educators have said that problems related to the 2013 curriculum lie in the absence of a thorough review of feasibility prior to implementation.
Anies said that starting next semester, 6,221 of 208,000 schools nationwide would try out an improved version of the curriculum and that they should get ready for intensive guidance from the ministry. Teachers in the 6,221 schools will also receive intensive training since they will be the backbone of the curriculum's implementation. The late and insufficient distribution of textbooks was another problem that occurred during the implementation of the new curriculum.
It is understandable if many parents express their concerns over the policy, considering that at the beginning of the implementation of the 2013 curriculum a lot of teachers complained that they were not ready to execute the new one.
As if the curriculum were not problematic enough, the Defense Ministry has proposed the inclusion of state defense into the national curriculum, arguing that 'nationalist values have deteriorated and we must cultivate the values of state defense among youth'.
Despite the government's promise to avoid a 'militaristic approach', the idea itself was immediately opposed by teacher associations, which said the new subject would burden students.
The public is now waiting for the ministry to finish its thorough evaluation and prepare better infrastructure ' standardized knowledge among teachers and the proper distribution of textbooks ' before implementing the new curriculum.
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Public pressure is mounting on the government to form an independent team to investigate a shooting in Paniai, Papua, which claimed the lives of five civilians and injured 21 others.
The incident occurred at around 10 a.m. on Monday when security personnel allegedly attempted to disperse a crowd that had gathered and was dancing in Karel Gobai field, Madi district.
The Papua Police have denied involvement in the incident, saying that before the incident occurred, residents blocked roads and disrupted traffic in Enarotali city. As the police were trying to negotiate with residents to cease the disruption, they heard gunshots from nearby hills.
The case is under police investigation.
Indonesian Military (TNI) Army chief of staff Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo concurred with the police's account of the incident and denied any TNI involvement.
The government's failure to respond to the incident has prompted church leaders in Papua to reject President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's plan to visit the province for the national Christmas celebration in Jayapura on Dec. 27.
Critics have voiced concerns that Jokowi was insensitive for not making any statement on the incident while he still had time before flying to South Korea for the 25th commemoration of ASEAN-South Korea dialogue.
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The public is also waiting for the government's decision on which faction of the Golkar Party will be officially recognized. Two factions ' one under incumbent chairman Aburizal Bakrie and another under former coordinating people's welfare minister Agung Laksono ' held separate party meetings in Bali and Jakarta, respectively.
Agung's camp moved fast and worked overnight to form their own lineup and submit the congress outcome to the Law and Human Rights Ministry for approval last Monday.
A few hours later, Aburizal submitted his congress' outcome to the ministry.
The 2011 Law on Political Parties stipulates that the government has seven days to legalize a party's national executive members after submission. Agung promised to bring Golkar 'back to its original doctrine as a political party that is always with the government', while Aburizal promised to maintain Golkar's position as the leader of the opposition camp.
If the Agung-led Golkar faction is recognized, the Red-and-White Coalition will be weakened, as Golkar is the second-biggest party in the House of Representatives after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
For the first time in the party's 50-year history, Golkar, the government's political arm during the Soeharto era, has split into two factions. The public expects the party to resolve its internal problems peacefully, as the party has greatly influenced the nation's politics.
' Primastuti Handayani
