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New optional Pramuka rule divides public
Supporters of the Pramuka movement say the activities are beneficial as they teach important life skills, while opponents argue that poor implementation of the program in many schools means they are little more than time-wasting activities.
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National Scout (Pramuka) members salute during a National Scout Day ceremony in Cibubur, East Jakarta, on Aug. 14, 2020. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
T
he recent decision by the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry to change the National Scouts (Pramuka) from a mandatory part of the school curriculum into an optional after-school program has sparked heated debate among former students, teachers and experts.
The ministry has issued a new ministerial regulation that puts into effect the implementation of Kurikulum Merdeka (freedom curriculum), which is championed by the incumbent minister Nadiem Makarim, as a nationwide curriculum.
The regulation stipulates that all after-school programs, including scouting, are optional activities for students. Pramuka has been for decades, including in the previous Kurikulum 2013, mandatory for all state school students across the country regardless of its extracurricular label.
The news has split the public and sparked wide ranging discussions on social media on the scouting program’s relevancy to the educational system and the bullying that is occasionally associated with its activities.
Many former scouts welcomed the new rule, claiming that they barely gained anything from the mandatory extracurricular program, leaving its implementation much to be desired.
“The only thing I remember from Pramuka is how much I hated it,” a social media user under the handle @blossxmy wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
Read also: Education ministry launches early education report to bolster new curriculum
