Education Paradigm Advised to Change

Jurnal Nasional, Page 10

Indonesia’s population is projected to reach 400 million lives in 2045. If the Government does not make use of all persons at their productive age at this time, a catastrophe may occur. Therefore, education in Indonesia must be considered the main gateway towards preparing quality human resources for the future.

Deputy Governor at the National Defense Agency, Marsekal Madya Dede Rusamsi, says education has not been considered as a pillar for national development. He believes the condition where a nation comprises of unintelligent people could hamper the development of the nation and weaken its competitiveness.

One of the biggest challenges Indonesia will face in 2045 is the massive amount of persons at their productive age (15 – 64 years old), which will comprise of 50% – 60% of the whole population. Most of the people at their productive age were born in 2005, making them around 8 years old now.

Therefore, Indonesia needs to learn from developed countries such as the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.

Education Paradigm Advised to Change

Paradigma Pendidikan Disarankan Berubah

Jurnal Nasional, p 10

Jumlah penduduk di Indonesia pada 2045 diprediksi akan mencapai 400 juta jiwa.  Maka dari itu, pendidikan di Indonesia harus menjadi gerbang utama untuk menyiapkan sumber daya manusia berkualitas.

Wakil Gubernur, Lembaga Ketahanan Nasional, Mersekal Madya Dede Rusamsi mengatakan, bidang pendidikan di Indonesia belum dijadikan panglima pembangunan nasional. Tidak heran jika pendidikan di Indonesia belum mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa, yang menghasilkan sumber daya manusia terdidik dan mempunyai skill untuk meningkatkan daya saing bangsa.

Karenanya, Indonesia harus belajar dari negara maju seperti Amerika, China, Jepang, dan Korea Selatan. Jika di Amerika sistem SD-SMA desentralisasi, sementara di Indonesia masih sentralistik. Sementara itu, di Jepang ada sanksi hukum jika ada orang tua yang tidak menyekolahkan anaknya. Lain halnya dengan China, kurikulum disana disesuaikan dengan potensi yang dimiliki anak.

Teacher Certification Benefits Hacked

Tempo, Page A7

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) revealed there are still many cases where teacher certification benefits are being illegally reduced. Based on reports received by ICW, many teachers are still being extorted because they are powerless to fight against it. If the teachers do not obey, they would be hit with a sanction, said Siti Juliantari, and ICW observer.

Teacher certification cash benefits are distributed based on the teacher’s status. Benefits for private teachers are transferred directly to their accounts from the Ministry of Education and Culture while teachers who are civil servants obtain their cash benefits from their local administration.

A teacher from a public school in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, reported his cash benefit was cut down by IDR 700,000 from IDR 9.8 million to IDR 9.1 million. Enraged, he reported this incident to the Ombudsman.

Siti added that teachers who protest against these reductions will be hit with a sanction that could delay them from receiving their benefits. Local education offices usually inform teachers of this fact beforehand, yet it has been difficult to legally punish these offices because it is difficult to prove.

Deputy Education Minister Musliar Kasim said these benefit reductions only occur in regional autonomies. The Ministry, he added, is not responsible for monitoring misuse of funds in regions. He advised these teachers to report this case to the police or district attorney.

Teacher Certification Benefits Hacked

Penyunatan Duit Sertifikasi Guru Masih Marak

Koran Tempo, p A7

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) menyatakan praktek pemotongan tunjangan sertifikasi guru masih marak terjadi. Dari sejumlah laporan yang diterima, praktek pungutan liar marak karena guru berada di sisi tak berdaya.

Seorang guru di sekolah negeri  di Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta melaporkan pemotongan tunjangan sertifikasi ke Ombudsman setempat. Ia mengeluhkan lantaran tunjangan yang ia terima untuk semester pertama 2013 disunat Rp 700 ribu dari yang seharusnya diterima sebesar Rp 9,8 juta menjadi Rp 9,1 juta. Ia juga mengatakan, proses hukum atas pungutan liar ini sering terhambat karena sulitnya pembuktian.

Sekretaris Jenderal Federasi Serikat Guru Indonesia, Retno Listyanti mengatakan Kementerian pernah dipanggil Ombudsman ihwal pungutan liar tunjangan sertifikasi pada 2011. Hasilnya, pemerintah menggunakan rekening pusat untuk penyerahan tunjangan ke guru swasta dan rekening daerah untuk guru negeri. Namun, ironisnya praktek pungutan liar masih tetap terjadi.

Indonesian Textbook Will Not Be Pulled from Distribution

Media Indonesia, Page 14 (2)

Head of the Language Development Center at the Ministry of Education and Culture, Mahsun, asserted that the Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian Language) textbook for seventh grade students implementing the 2013 Curriculum will not be pulled from distribution because it has been approved by the team of evaluators. He added that teachers can replace the short story with one that conveys a similar message or rip out the pages in the book because the story is only an attachment.

Previously, the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) discovered inappropriate words for seventh grade students in a short story attached to the seventh grade Bahasa Indonesia textbook for the 2013 Curriculum. The story entitled Gerhana (Eclipse) written by Muhammad Ali contained words such as bajingan (bastard), bangsat (son of a bitch), and kurang ajar (a harsh way to say ‘disrespectful’ in Indonesian). The book issued by the Ministry was distributed to a number of junior high schools in Garut, West Java, Semarang, Central Java, Madiun, East Java, and other regions.

Indonesian Textbook Will Not Be Pulled from Distribution

Buku Bahasa Indonesia Kelas VII tidak Ditarik

Media Indonesia, p 14 (2)

Kepala Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendikbud) Mahsun menegaskan buku bahasa Indonesia kurikulum 2013 untuk kelas VII tidak akan ditarik dari sekolah karena sudah disetujui tim penilai. Menurut Mahsun, penarikan atau revisi buku itu tidak perlu dipersoalkan karena sejak awal Kemendikbud sudah menyiapkan program monitoring dan evaluasi jauh – jauh hari. Ia menambahkan, dalam kata pengantar buku pun dijelaskan bahwa materi buku merupakan benda hidup yang selalu akan mengalami perubahan sehingga diharapkan masyarakat bisa melihat persoalan secara jernih.

Sebelumnya, Federasi Serikat Guru Indonesia (FSGI) menemukan pada bagian lampiran buku bahasa Indonesia kelas VII kurikulum 2013 di halaman 225 ada kutipan dari kumpulan cerpen Gerhana yang ditulis Muhammad Ali ada kata-kata kuarng pantas seperti bajingan, bangsat,  dan kurang ajar. buku tersebut beredar di beberapa SMP di Garut, Jabar, Semarang, Jateng, Madiun, Jatim dan daerah lainnya.

Sementara itu, Ketua Ikatan Penerbit Indonesia (Ikapi) Pusat Lucya Andam Dewi menilai terjadinya kontroversi penerbitan buku bahasa Indonesia kelas VII kurikulum 2013 dimungkinkan akibat kontrol yang lemah.

Teacher Benefits along the Border of Nunukan have not been Disbursed

Media Indonesia, Page 14 (1)

A number of elementary school teachers located along the borderline of Indonesia and Malaysia in Nunukan District, North Kalimantan, complained about the fact that they have not received their teacher benefits this year. The amount of the cash benefits for teachers located along border areas is equal to their salary and paid out once every three months, or four times a year.

The Nunukan Education Office Secretary, Hasmuni, admitted the distribution of teacher benefits for approximately 40% of all elementary schools in Nunukan was delayed. He said this delay was because the Central Government was late in transferring the funds. He added that the Central Government transferred these cash benefits directly to the teachers’ accounts, without passing by the Education Office first, making it difficult for the Office to track down who has not received the benefits.

Teacher Benefits along the Border of Nunukan have not been Disbursed

Tunjangan Guru Perbatasan di Nunukan belum Cair

Media Indonesia, p 14 (1)

Sejumlah guru sekolah dasar (SD) di daerah perbatasan Indonesia dengan Malaysia, Kabupaten Nunukan, Kalimantan Utara, mengeluhkan belum diterimanya tunjangan guru perbatasan mereka pada tahun ini.

Padahal, pemabayaran tunjangan guru perbatasan yang besarnya setara dengan gaji pokok itu dilakukan tiap tiga bulan sekali atau empat kali setahun. Seluruh kelangkapan sebagai syarat pencairan tunjangan guru perbatasan seperti nomor rekening telah diberikan kepada Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Nunukan.

Saat dikonfirmasi, Sekretaris Dinas Pendidikan Nunukan Hasmuni mengatakan data verifikasi guru SD telah dikirimkan kepada pemerintah pusat. Ia mengaku keterlambatan pembayaran tunjangan dirasakan 40% SD di Nunukan. Penyaluran tunjangan guru itu langsung diberikan kepada penerima dan tidak ditembuskan ke Disdik. Ia mengimbau para guru untuk rajin-rajin mengecek rekening.

Indonesian Islamic Schools Must be Considered Role Models

Republika, Page 5 (4)

Vice President Boediono hopes madrasah Islamic schools in Indonesia can be used as an example and role model for the development of Islamic schools in other nations. This can be done by implementing a modern curriculum and system while conveying messages of peace and love among the human race.

In Indonesia, madrasah schools are the antipodes of efforts to implant radicalism and terrorism in the minds and hearts of the Muslim youth. Madrasah schools teach tolerance, democracy, civic education, science and technology, and others.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, through the Director General of Islamic Education, has launched a National Madrasah Research Program (PRO-MADRINA) to be implemented across the nation. This research program is aimed at honing the research skills of madrasah students.

Indonesian Islamic Schools Must be Considered Role Models

Madrasah Indonesia Mesti Jadi Acuan

Republika, p 5 (4)

Wakil Presiden Boediono mengharapkan madrasah di Indonesia bisa menjadi contoh dan model untuk perkembangan madrasah di negara-negara lain. Caranya, dengan menampilkan sistem dan kurikulum yang mengikuti zaman, tetapi juga menyebarkan kedamaian dan kasih sayang di antara umat manusia.

Madrasah menurut Wapres, harus dapat menempatkan diri dan mengambil peran penting dalam pendidikan generasi muda. Karena, generasi muda menjadi tumpuan untuk menghadapi tantangan di era ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi yang terus berkembang tanpa menenggelamkan karakter dan nilai-nilai keislaman.

Madrasah riset

Sementara itu, Kementerian Agama (Kemenag) melalui Ditjen Pendidikan Islam (Pendis) meluncurkan program madrasah riset nasional (PRO-MADRINA) yang akan di berlakukan secara nasional. Program madrasah riset ini ditargetkan menjadi ujung tombak pengasah kemampuan riset siswa madrasah.