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The roadmap toward a better education system for Indonesia
Nineteen episodes of Merdeka Learning have been made to date that touch on the various aspects of educational transformation to ensure that all Indonesians have access to a proper education.
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ineteen episodes of Merdeka Learning have been made to date that touch on the various aspects of educational transformation to ensure that all Indonesians have access to a proper education. The Merdeka Learning program was first initiated during the pandemic by the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry to help the general public benefit from the government’s programs and policies.
“We all have the right to quality education. That is the goal of Merdeka Learning, which is now our collective movement," Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim said on Friday during his eponymous #enterclass event that was broadcast live on the ministry’s YouTube channel, Education TV, and Indonesiana.TV.
The program is considered the education ministry’s first breakthrough and the most essential because of its parallel to improvements in the quality of education, measured by national assessments, the Merdeka Curriculum and the Educational Report Card platform. Financial assistance schemes, such as the school operational system (BOS), have also garnered attention.
"With this breakthrough, learning in schools is now more focused on essential things, namely literacy, numeracy and character-strengthening skills so that they are much more relevant," said Nadiem.
He explained that the Merdeka Curriculum was an option and not something that should be implemented in every school by force. However, he hopes that educators see the curriculum for the potential of its benefits and for the country’s educational recovery as a whole.
“We believe that it is the teacher who best understands the needs and potential of their students. Therefore, we give them much greater flexibility to develop learning by prioritizing project-based learning. The Merdeka Curriculum puts forward learning that is much more liberating, fun, in-depth and relevant for students," said Nadiem.
Currently, the Indonesian education ecosystem does not need to worry about final exams that determine whether a student gets to graduate. This is because the national assessment, as a substitute for the National Examination, was established in 2020 and has been attended by more than 6.5 million pupils and 3 million educators, focusing on the development and improvement of learning outcomes and the school environment. The results can also be easily accessed through the Educational Report Card platform.
In addition to presenting a platform that helps teachers in learning, teaching, and working, the education ministry also prioritizes the selection of state civil servants (ASN) and state employees with employment agreements (PPPK) in order to overcome the welfare challenges faced by contract teachers so far.
“More than 300,000 teachers have passed the ASN PPPK teacher selection and have earned a much more decent income. We will continue this program to ensure that our teachers get the right compensation for their services,” said Nadiem, adding that teachers were at the forefront of determining the direction and future of Indonesian education.
The ministry has also transformed the policy of funding for schools, from preschools to high schools, which was previously deemed ineffective and inefficient. Prior to the new policy, the funds allocated to each student throughout Indonesia were the same, but now they are adjusted to regional costs. With this change in the Compound BOS policy, many schools in frontier, remote and disadvantaged (3T) areas have experienced a more than twofold increase in operational assistance funds.
“School operational assistance funds are now also directly sent to school accounts and their use is much more flexible so that school needs can be met immediately. This is our effort to ensure that improving the quality of education occurs throughout Indonesia, from Sabang [Aceh] to Merauke [Papua],” said Nadiem.
Nadiem also credited the spirits of the students to encourage more breakthrough programs in the future. He has noted that visiting students and seeing their enthusiasm to learn had become his biggest inspiration.
"One of the most memorable moments of a working visit for me was when the President came into the classroom to talk with the students and even gave them challenges," said Nadiem about his trip to various regions to get feedback on various education ministry programs.
The ministry has reason to believe that breakthroughs, such as the Freedom to Learn – Free Campus (MBKM) program, which was created to cater to students to continue learning outside the school, has succeeded in furthering students’ life skills. University graduates will be much more prepared and trained to face future challenges, as proven by the hundreds of thousands of students throughout the country who have said they gained valuable experiences from the program.
Moreover, the MBKM program has strengthened the research ecosystem at universities so that they can continue to produce useful and solution-based innovations. This is why the education ministry launched a matchmaking platform, Kedaireka, for universities and industries, where the selected joint project proposals will be supported by a matching fund system. The government will match every rupiah that is given to a university by a corporation for every collaborative project.
The ministry has also issued Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministerial Regulation No. 31/2021 on the prevention and handling of sexual violence in higher education in order to ensure the security of all students so they can learn in a safe and comfortable environment without fear of violence in and out of the classroom.
“This is a big and bold step that we take to protect all campus residents from sexual violence by prioritizing the perspective of the victim. I am sure that with the Freedom to Learning – Free Campus program, our university graduates will become the next generation with lifelong learning characters who are ready to lead Indonesia's progress in the future," Nadiem said optimistically.
“The breakthroughs that we present will only have an impact if we all continue to move simultaneously on the same path toward one goal, namely quality education for all Indonesian people.”
