Ministry Claims Prototype Curriculum Will Prevent Further Learning Loss

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology has claimed that its prototype curriculum works effectively in preventing further loss among students due to limited in-person learning activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director of elementary school at the Ministry Sri Wahyuningsih said the implementation of the new curriculum is expected to assist both parents and students in their learning activities.

“This is an effort to prevent demotivation among children and parents,” Wahyuningsih on Friday, January 21, as reported by Antara.

According to her, this prototype curriculum is the improvement of the emergency curriculum announced previously by the government as guidance for schools during the pandemic. Compared to the curriculum 2013, which was in use prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the content of the prototype curriculum is claimed to have been simplified.

The prototype, Wahyuningsih added, calls for learning that’s based on students’ competency and allows more character development.

Evaluation conducted by the Standard, Curriculum and Education Assessment Bureau (BSKAP) found that schools that implemented emergency curriculum got a higher learning achievement compared to schools that continued with curriculum 2013. Therefore, the Ministry is optimistic that the more-advanced prototype curriculum will work even better in recovering learning loss.

Currently, the curriculum is only required in around 2,500 schools in 111 regencies and municipals, and the Ministry aims for its national implementation in 2022/2023 academic year.

In the same occasion, Wahyuningsih also urged schools to make the best use of in-person learning activity which has been re-allowed by the government with several requirements, as prolonged online learning carries the risk of declining learning achievement.