BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – At the end of 2021, news of curriculum changes was often discussed. The 2013 curriculum (Kurikulum 2013) and the emergency curriculum (Kurikulum Darurat) that has been implemented in schools will be replaced with the Independent Curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka).
Kurikulum Merdeka was launched by the Ministry of Education and Culture as part of the Merdeka Belajar policy which was established in December 2019. Kurikulum Merdeka is a development of Kurikulum Darurat implemented to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Schools are given three choices, namely using the full Kurikulum 2013, the simplified 2013 Curriculum (emergency curriculum), or the Kurikulum Merdeka which was originally called the Prototype Curriculum.
Kurikulum Merdeka is predicted to be more excellent because it focuses on essential materials and gives independence to students, principals, and teachers in choosing appropriate learning.
Why Must Curriculum be Changed?
In a span of 75 years, Indonesia has used 10 curricula which are used on average in a period of 10 years, except for the Competency-Based Curriculum (KBK) 2004 and the Education Unit Level Curriculum (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan, KTSP) 2006.
So, why should the curriculum change? The Dean of the Faculty of Teaching and Education (FKIP) Universitas Pasundan, Dr. H. Uus Toharudin, M.Pd. stated in the 33rd of Unpas Talk podcast, that it is normal for curriculum changes to occur because the needs and challenges in the future are constantly changing.
For him who is in the sector of education, he thinks that curriculum changes need not be debated. Moreover, the current generation is faced with changes in technology and digitization. There will be new types of work, so students are required to improve their competence.
“I have studied the curriculum since 1988. I also teach the Learning Strategy course. Although the curriculum changes, there are some essential ones, namely content, methods, and assessment. The element must remain attached even though the accessories change,” he explained.
He also added that whatever the curriculum is currently used, education personnel must be able to use technology and adapt to today’s positive trends. After all, technology is unavoidable, it’s just a matter of how skilled individuals use it.
“We have to welcome this change positively. If it is addressed properly, Indonesia’s educational goals will certainly be achieved. The curriculum does change, but not with the essence,” he continued.
Ideally, in Kurikulum Merdeka, teachers can see the changes that have occurred compared to the previous, the reasons why it changed, as well as the approach used in the new curriculum, the expected competencies, the curriculum tools provided, the teaching tools needed, implementation in the classroom, and the assessment model. Curriculum changes must be seen as a holistic whole, not partial.
He considered that Kurikulum Merdeka that was being rolled out now was actually back and almost the same as the module method. However, there are new terms such as Basic Competencies, indicators, and so on which are adapted to current developments.
“From the beginning, the cycle and essence were the same, only the focus was different; so, in my opinion, this is not something to worry about,” he concluded. (Reta)**