Merdeka Belajar: Pembelajaran dari Transformasi Pendidikan Indonesia

Summary

The speaker from Indonesia shares transformative reforms in the country's education system, inspired by mentors like Jaime and Andrea Schleicher. They discuss the shift towards 'emancipated learning,' focusing on making education engaging and empowering for students and teachers. Key reforms include removing high-stakes subject testing, implementing a new curriculum that prioritizes depth over breadth, and using technology to enhance teaching. Emphasizing autonomy, risk-taking, and teacher collaboration, Indonesia's initiatives aim to foster lifelong learning, improve literacy and numeracy, and reduce disparities in educational resources across regions.

Takeaways

• 📊 Indonesia, with over 300,000 schools and 60 million students, has undertaken a significant education transformation, largely influenced by expert guidance.
• 📉 The learning crisis worsened by COVID-19 provided an opportunity for bold changes, emphasizing innovative approaches in education.
• 📚 Indonesia removed high-stakes, subject-based tests and replaced them with formative assessments focusing on numeracy and literacy, accessible digitally across the nation.
• 👩‍🏫 Teachers were given more agency, with 20% of class time allocated to project-based learning, and more freedom in curriculum creation to foster creativity and flexibility.
• 🎓 Indonesia's university entrance exams were restructured to align with problem-solving, numeracy, and literacy assessments, replacing subject-based testing.
• 👨‍🎓 Over 100,000 university students were deployed to teach literacy and numeracy in underperforming regions, showing significant positive impacts on student outcomes.
• 📖 Libraries were filled with 50 million books chosen based on what children wanted to read, sparking a newfound love of reading in impoverished regions.
• 🌍 Differentiated budgeting was implemented, directing more funds to schools in impoverished areas, ensuring better resource allocation where needed most.
• 💻 A technology team developed free tools and apps for educators, including a highly-rated 'super app' for teachers to share content and undergo continuous learning.
• 🏫 Teacher leadership and training focused on risk-taking, innovation, and peer learning through community-driven support, moving away from traditional pedagogical approaches.

Q & A

What was the main challenge that Indonesia faced in education before the reforms?

Indonesia was facing a learning crisis even before Covid-19, which further accelerated the need for educational transformation.

How did Covid-19 impact the urgency of educational reforms in Indonesia?

Covid-19 created a more pressing platform for educational transformation by causing learning deceleration and emphasizing the need for change.

What is the concept of 'emancipated learning' mentioned in the script?

'Emancipated learning' refers to creating an educational system that transforms school from a burden to a joyful experience, fostering lifelong learning.

What was the first bold step taken in Indonesia's educational reform?

The first bold step was removing subject-based high-stakes testing and replacing it with formative assessments focused on numeracy and literacy.

How did the new curriculum differ from the previous one in terms of content and approach?

The new curriculum reduced subject content by 30-40%, focused on depth over breadth, and allocated 20% of class time for project-based learning.

What was unique about the way the new curriculum was implemented?

The new curriculum was offered freely to schools, and within one and a half years, 80% of schools opted in without being forced.

How did Indonesia address the issue of student pacing in the classroom?

Teachers were allowed to move students one to two years behind to catch up or advance, according to their competencies.

What changes were made to the university entrance exams to align with the new educational focus?

Subject-based testing was removed from university entrance exams, and they were aligned with problem-solving, numeracy, and literacy aptitude tests.

How did Indonesia revamp its pre-service teacher education?

Pre-service teacher education was revamped to focus on clinical practice, moving from predominantly theory-based to school-based learning.

What was the role of the 'Master Teachers' program in leadership development?

The 'Master Teachers' program was designed to develop future principals and superintendents, focusing on risk-taking, innovation, and leadership philosophies.

How did Indonesia leverage technology in its educational transformation?

Indonesia leveraged technology by developing proprietary tools for educators, creating a national assessment platform, and an e-commerce store for schools.

What lessons were learned from the educational reforms in Indonesia?

Key lessons included the need for a comprehensive approach across all stages of education, engaging the community, and using technology to empower teachers rather than replace them.