The Independent Learning Program Has Not Been Able To Answer Basic Education Issues

JAKARTA - Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbud Ristek) Nadiem Makariem left the Merdeka Learning program ahead of the end of his term of office. He hopes that this program can be continued by his successor.

The last five years have been a very impressive time on our journey at the Ministry of Education and Culture. Being the leader of the Free Learning movement is increasingly making us aware of the challenges and opportunities we have to advance Indonesian education," said Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem in his speech during the National Education Day (Hardiknas) ceremony on May 2, 2024.

Nadiem said it was not easy to transform education in Indonesia through the Merdeka Learning program. One of them is related to how to change the perspective of the learning process, which according to Nadiem does require a lot of struggle.

Freedom of Learning is a program initiated by the Minister of Education and Technology Nadiem Makarim as an effort to realize independence in learning. It is said that being independent in learning means that students have the freedom to think and express themselves.

With the Merdeka Learning program, the government hopes to provide high-quality education for all students in Indonesia.

The concept of Freedom of Learning initiated by Nadiem was actually inspired by the concept of Free Learning Ki Hajar Dewantara. According to the Father of Indonesian Education, education is a series of processes to humanize humans.

According to Ki Hajar Dewantara, the concept of education is also based on the basis of independence known as the among system, which prohibits punishment and coercion in students because it can kill Merdeka's soul and their creativity.

The Independent Learning Program, which has been initiated by Nadiem since 2019, focuses on transforming education through four things, namely infrastructure and technology, policies, procedures and funding for community and cultural leadership, as well as the curriculum for pedagosis and assessment (asesmen).

This transformation was realized in 26 episodes, including the Merdeka Mobilizing Teacher Program and Curriculum which became the most talked about.

According to the Head of the P2G Feriansyah Education Research and Development Division, the Merdeka Learning program initiated by Nadiem has yet to touch the main education problems faced by Indonesia so far, one of which is about the Merdeka Curriculum to replace the 2013 Curriculum.

"The Ministry of Education and Culture at the end of his leadership made the same steps as before, namely changing the minister to change the curriculum," said Feriansyah during a conversation with VOI.

The Merdeka Curriculum is set to become a national curriculum through the issuance of Permendikbudristek Number 12 of 2024. The Merdeka Curriculum itself has been introduced in educational units since four years ago, before finally becoming a curriculum that must be implemented by educational units.

Although not yet a mandatory curriculum at that time, during the last four years the Merdeka Curriculum has been adopted by more than 300 thousand or 80 percent of education units in Indonesia.

However, according to P2G's findings, there was a decrease in the number of high school students with the Merdeka Curriculum received by universities through the National Selection Line Based on Achievements (SNBP).

This is known to P2G after collecting data based on the inquiry distributed to high school drivers who take part in SNBP.

Quoting Antara, the number of High Schools for Mobilizing Forces I which have implemented the Merdeka Curriculum since 2021 is 381 high schools nationally and the angket is filled with a sample of 10 percent of the total population.

A total of 38 Mobilizing Schools filled out the inquiry as an evaluation of the implementation of the 2024 SNBP and found the fact that there was a decrease in the number of admissions of students for the 2024 SNBP line.

For example, SMAN 21 Jakarta, which in SNBP 2023 succeeded in graduating as many as 50 students but decreased in SNBP 2024, which was only 22 students.

Then, SMAN 1 Wonosari, Gunung Kidul, in SNBP 2023 managed to pass around 46 students but dropped drastically in SNBP 2024, which was only 16 students who graduated from state universities (PTN).

Apart from being related to the Merdeka Curriculum, Feriansyah also highlighted the Mobilizing Teacher Program (PGP), which was organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture to improve the quality and professionalism of teachers.

The existence of PGP, according to Feriansyah, seems to be contrary to the Teacher Professional Education Program (PPG) which has been running for a long time.

Whereas according to Law Number 15 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers, it is stipulated that teachers are professional educators. This means that prospective teachers must carry out advanced education programs in order to master teacher competence in its entirety and according to national education standards. After taking PPG, participants obtain professional educator certificates in early childhood education, basic education, and secondary education.

But the current facts of the Ministry of Education and Culture are considered to have boosted PGP more than PPG.

Teachers are professions, just like doctors. If there are no doctors in the hospital, they cannot operate. It should be the same with education, when teachers have not been certified, they should not practice," said Feriansyah.

"The ministry is focused on improving driving teachers, not qualification teachers. In fact, by improving qualifications, there is a correlation between improving the quality of education and welfare," he added.

In the midst of a debate about Merdeka Learning initiated by Nadiem Makarim, Feriansyah hopes that in the future there will be similarities in perception from top to bottom.

"We need to synchronize policies from top to bottom. The Ministry should focus on basic things, one of which is teacher governance and adequate access to education for all groups," said Feriansyah.