Longing for fun and meaningful learning that is still a dream

Ki Hadjar Dewantara envisions education that is fun and meaningful according to nature for Indonesian children.

KOMPAS/KORNELIS KEWA AMA

On Thursday (25/4/2024), junior high school students from SMPN 7 in Oelnasi Village, Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara, walked a distance of 3 kilometers to get to school. There is no public transportation available for the community's needs. Meanwhile, the conventional motorcycle taxi fee is Rp 20,000 per person.

Students find it hard to get up in the morning, wearing school uniforms feels tense in their hearts

Because the child knows, soon he will enter a scary classroom

Every mistake is punished, every question is shamed

The relevance of the teachings is becoming more and more confusing, day by day he is getting behind.

It's not just the children who are scared, even the teachers can't catch their breath while learning.

Teaching materials feel like a train without speed limits, the burden of bureaucracy makes teachers like prisoners.

But in every child's heart there is a hidden dream, a desire to learn without being judged.

Strong belief that he has competence, desire to be seen as an independent human being

And every teacher has a feeling in his heart that perhaps the ancient methods are no longer relevant

That lifelong learners cannot possibly be produced by rigidity, memorization, and standardization.

Both children and teachers must be given space to be creative, innovate, even to struggle.

The classroom becomes a stage and opportunity to discover each person's identity

The poem, which describes the learning conditions of most students and teachers in classrooms and schools in Indonesia until the world has entered the era of artificial intelligence, was read by the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, shortly before the performance of the musical concert "Hugging Dreams: Freedom to Learn, Freedom to Love” at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, on April 25 2024.

A musical performance with stories about the struggle to make dreams come true (Freedom of Learning) is presented by students and teachers of SMKN 2 Kasihan Bantul, DI Yogyakarta. They collaborated with a number of well-known artists/singers as a series of commemorations National Education Day which was celebrated on Thursday (2/5/2024) with the theme "Move Together, Continue Free Learning".

Also read: Readiness to Implement the Independent Curriculum Still Varies

Ministers of education come and go with policies and curricula that often change. His intentions are noble, promising a better and more capable national education system to prepare superior human resources with intelligence and character.

However, the existing reality is that enjoyable learning, learning that makes students actively learn and ready to become lifelong learners, is still far from expectation. In fact, the basic skills of learning and living - namely, the mastery of literacy and numeracy competencies - are still at the bottom of the rank globally for the young generation of the nation, otherwise known as being in a state of downfall.

In various policies and education programs offered by the government, the change of national curriculum is often believed to be strategic. The dream of realizing student-centered learning, which makes students actively learn, has actually been envisioned by Ki Hadjar Dewantara, the Father of National Education.

Education policies have also been implemented almost four decades ago with the proclamation of the Active Student Learning (CBSA) in 1985 or 1986. Limited trials have been conducted, but as expressed in the poetry by the Minister of Education and Culture, schools are still perceived as a space that "tortures" students.

Schools have become unpleasant places to cultivate dreams of becoming independent and happy individuals, as well as developing according to their nature. This is a condition that has long been envisioned by Ki Hadjar Dewantara for the future of the Indonesian people.

When children love learning, children will never want to stop learning.

Then, the government made an offer to change the national curriculum as part of the Independent Learning policy. In the 2024/2025 academic year, Indonesia officially made Independence Curriculum the national curriculum, which is gradually replacing the 2013 Curriculum.

There is room for freedom or flexibility for students and teachers. There is an offer of more meaningful learning because it is not just about pursuing content, but also depth and mastery of subject competencies. Then, there is a focus on character education that is not just done on the side but carried out through the Strengthening Project of Pancasila Student Profiles (P5).

There is no standardization of the curriculum. This is because every school has a school-level curriculum or an operational school curriculum that is contextual to the needs of the school community and the surrounding environment.

Currently, teachers and schools are busy trying to implement the Merdeka Curriculum successfully. Complaints, concerns, and praise for the demands of learning and teaching methods, as well as assessment, evaluation, and administration, are constantly changing. As in the past, every change in the curriculum brings hope as well as anxiety for teachers as the executors in the classroom and school.

Resolve deadlocks

Ernisa Supiah, an English teacher at the Extraordinary High School for the Deaf in SLBN Cicendo, Bandung, West Java, feels a tightness in her chest. When she enters the classroom and is about to start teaching, the students using sign language say they have forgotten the lesson, are confused, or cannot understand. However, English is an important factor in giving them high bargaining power.

One day, Ernisa found an idea to overcome the stalemate of her teaching method which was not suitable for deaf students. She discovered pantomime that minimizes words and prioritizes body language for communication.

Also read: Schools Struggle to Overcome Backwardness

"I also started to use pantomime as a learning method for students to learn vocabulary and phrases in English. The classroom that used to feel empty is now enthusiastic. With pantomime, learning becomes full of expression, movement, and emotion. The students become active," shared Ernisa's story.

According to Ernise, the Merdeka Curriculum provides space for teachers to be flexible and innovative. She is also challenged to continuously find relevant learning methods for the students in her class.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

First-grade students explained about bracelet crafts being sold at the food and craft bazaar of the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project with the theme of "Entrepreneurship" at SD Pembangunan Jaya 2 Sidoarjo, Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, in December 2022.

A change in the learning atmosphere that triggers the enthusiasm of students, according to Khairina Lubis, the Vice Principal of SMA Negeri 1 Meranti, Asahan District, North Sumatra, when the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening project (P5) was implemented, became one of the offers in the Merdeka Curriculum. This project-based learning model can be done flexibly and collaboratively across subjects.

The main objective is to strengthen students' characters with the profile of Pancasila students who are devout to God Almighty and have noble morals, global diversity, mutual cooperation, independence, creativity, and critical thinking skills.

From the results of discussions with students and teachers, the theme was chosen to build their body and soul with the topic stop bullying. This theme and topic was chosen because the issue of bullying among students is widespread. It is hoped that students know what is joking and what is in the bullying category.

See also: P5 Lessons at Jodog Market

"The priority is the process so that children can understand contextual learning design. "Then the students chose to realize this project with three options, namely seminars, campaign posters/brochures, and creating a drama stop bullying," said Khairina, who is also a Mathematics and Information and Communication Technology teacher.

The impact is that students who were initially unable to speak up become more confident to speak. The students begin to collaborate. In addition, parents also feel proud to see their children's work and abilities.

KOMPAS/ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA

Students with special needs take part in a pantomime competition at State Special School 01, South Tangerang City, Banten, Wednesday (28/2/2024).

Meanwhile, Anin, an 11th-grade student from SMAN 24 Jakarta, admits to not understanding the curricula implemented by the school. She mentioned that for the past two years since she entered high school, the school has been implementing the Merdeka Curriculum.

"What I feel is different from junior high school, now there are more discussions, more active. It is also exciting to work on projects together with friends," said Anin.

Not a necessity

Although changes in the national curriculum are necessary to be relevant to the development of time and the needs of national development, this still needs to be criticized. Is the change in curriculum needed by the education world to respond to the backwardness of education thus far?

Director of Executive Education Research Group (Bajik), Dhitta Puti Sarasvati, stated that quality education must continue to be fought for. However, what teachers need is not a change in the official curriculum. What is urgent is easily accessible, affordable, and quality teacher education.

Also read: Turning a "Rattan" Education into a Fun School

"Despite the less than ideal condition, it does not mean that the teacher colleagues are unwilling to learn. Teachers from all over Indonesia are enthusiastic about learning, but they do not know where to start. Just like students, they also want a meaningful learning process," said Puti, who is also a lecturer at Universitas PGRI Jakarta.

Founder of the Fun School Movement (GSM) Muhammad Nur Rizal said, whatever the curriculum, for the GSM teacher community it doesn't matter because it is just a basic framework. He analogized the curriculum as a recipe book held by a chef or cook. In fact, when the recipe book is lost, the cook can concoct new recipes himself.

KOMPAS/ESTER LINCE NAPITUPULU

The teachers in North Lombok Regency are enthusiastic about participating in the transformative leadership training for educators held by Indonesian Overseas and True Education Society in May 2023.

Rizal emphasized that the basic principle in carrying out educational transformation is the need to convince educators to help children find their best version, which is for the children to find a learning experience that is enjoyable and meaningful for themselves.

"It's not meaningful for the teacher or the curriculum," said Rizal, who is also a lecturer in Electrical and Informatics Engineering at Gadjah Mada University.

Teachers continue to be supported by grassroots teacher learning communities in developing fun ways to help students find meaning in their learning. As a result, children will be motivated to learn and will fall in love with learning.

Also read: Dreaming of an Inclusive Curriculum

"When children love learning, they will never want to stop learning," said Rizal.

On a separate note, education observer Doni Koesoema stated that the government must honestly acknowledge that all efforts and costs to overcome learning stagnation are not enough to help improve the quality of our education. Without daring to admit failure, we will not be able to find an objective way out and address the learning crisis.

"A total evaluation of various Merdeka Belajar policies is needed," said Doni.