10 Kritik atas Kurikulum Merdeka (TPDS#14)

Summary

The video discusses the implementation of Indonesia's Kurikulum Merdeka, addressing its challenges, effectiveness, and the concerns surrounding it. The speaker highlights issues such as the heavy content load of previous curricula, the limited evaluation of Kurikulum Merdeka, and its high implementation costs. There is criticism about the lack of scientific evidence supporting its success, and questions about the adequacy of teacher training. The speaker suggests that improvements in the curriculum and broader teacher support are needed before rolling it out nationwide, emphasizing the importance of continuous and thoughtful curriculum development.

Takeaways

• 🔄 National education transformation requires changes, including curriculum updates, but there are questions about whether this is the right time for such changes due to the ongoing recovery from COVID-19 learning loss.
• 📚 The 2013 curriculum was criticized for being too content-heavy, complex, and administratively burdensome. The Emergency Curriculum during the pandemic was more effective in minimizing learning loss, prompting the question of why it was not continued.
• ❓ The implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum lacks comprehensive evaluation. It started as a prototype in select schools, but its effectiveness remains uncertain, as there has not been adequate assessment to justify its large-scale rollout.
• 🔬 There is no scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Merdeka Curriculum. The methodology to assess its impact relies on perception surveys and ethnographic studies, which do not robustly measure learning outcomes.
• 🏫 The pilot schools selected for the Merdeka Curriculum were mainly high-performing institutions with sufficient resources, raising concerns about the curriculum's applicability to a wider range of schools.
• 🔄 Project-based learning, a key component of the Merdeka Curriculum, requires significant teacher training and support. The lack of proper guidance in many schools raises doubts about its practical implementation.
• 💸 Teacher certification and workload issues emerged in pilot schools, with some teachers failing to meet minimum teaching hours due to the new curriculum structure, affecting their certification and income.
• 📝 While the Merdeka Curriculum claims to simplify administration, teachers report increased workloads due to new tasks like creating project-based modules, which adds complexity rather than reducing it.
• 📊 Learning goals in the Merdeka Curriculum are inconsistent across subjects, and the purported simplification is not evident, as many topics from the previous curriculum remain equally complex.
• 💼 There are concerns over the high costs associated with the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum, which significantly exceeded those of previous curriculum updates, raising questions about its cost-effectiveness.

Q & A

What are the key issues identified in the 2013 curriculum according to the speaker?

The speaker mentions that the 2013 curriculum is overloaded with content, its textbooks are too comprehensive, and the administrative burden on teachers is heavy.

Why does the speaker question the decision to not continue with the 'emergency curriculum' post-pandemic?

The emergency curriculum was found effective in reducing learning loss during the pandemic. The speaker questions why this effective curriculum wasn't continued, instead of introducing a new alternative like the Merdeka curriculum.

What concerns does the speaker raise about the limited trials of the Merdeka curriculum?

The speaker is concerned that the Merdeka curriculum was only tested in 'driving schools' and hasn't been thoroughly evaluated. There is a lack of comprehensive results, and it was prematurely implemented on a larger scale.

Why does the speaker believe that the Merdeka curriculum's effectiveness is not scientifically proven?

The speaker argues that there is no strong scientific evidence to prove the effectiveness of the Merdeka curriculum. Effectiveness claims rely on perception surveys and ethnographic studies rather than objective learning outcomes.

What issue does the speaker see with the selection of schools for the Merdeka curriculum trials?

Most schools chosen for the trials were already high-performing, accredited A or B, with good facilities and teacher qualifications. The speaker questions if the curriculum would be equally successful in lower-performing schools.

How does the speaker view the project-based learning aspect of the Merdeka curriculum?

The speaker feels that project-based learning requires significant teacher training and school preparation. Many schools have not fully implemented it, and there are doubts about its effectiveness without proper guidance.

What issue does the speaker highlight regarding teacher certification in 'driving schools' implementing the Merdeka curriculum?

Some teachers in driving schools faced a reduction in teaching hours, leading to concerns about their certification bonuses. This issue was resolved ad hoc, but the speaker believes a systematic solution is needed.

What are the speaker's concerns about the administrative workload under the Merdeka curriculum?

The speaker mentions that while the Merdeka curriculum claims to simplify administration, it actually increases the workload, especially in project-based learning, where teachers must create modules, form teams, and design school-specific curricula.

Why does the speaker think the term 'Merdeka curriculum' might be short-lived?

The speaker feels that naming the curriculum 'Merdeka' reflects short-term political motivations. They argue that educational reforms should focus on continuity and substance, rather than changing nomenclature frequently.

How does the speaker compare the financial costs of implementing the Merdeka curriculum with previous curriculum reforms?

The speaker highlights that implementing the Merdeka curriculum is significantly more expensive than the 2013 curriculum, with 2.86 trillion IDR spent on 2,500 schools compared to 1.46 trillion IDR for the 2013 curriculum.