Kompas, page 13
Two weeks before the enactment of the five-day school policy, the Ministry of Education and Culture intensively prepared technical guidelines for the implementation of the character education strengthening program in schools. Cross-ministry and community dialogues were intensified. Director General of Primary and Secondary Education Kemdikbud Hamid Muhammad is optimistic that the guidelines will be completed in the near future.
Head of Communications and Public Service Bureau Kemdikbud Ari Santoso added the guidelines are important to avoid multiple interpretations in the application of the five day school. He said the additional two hours of school operations were filled with extracurricular activities. Students do not have to be in the classroom / school the entire afternoon because they can learn in the community under the guidance/supervision of teachers.
According to Kompas monitoring, a number of regions are ready to welcome the five-day school policy and character building education program (PPK) concurrent with the commencement of the new academic year 2017/2018. In Kabupaten Bangkalan, East Java, a number of schools have prepared supporting facilities and infrastructure. For example, SMAN 1 Bangkalan. The school is equipped with IPA and IPS laboratories, computer labs, libraries, canteens, internet connections, and 13 types of extracurricular activities. The school also undertakes a number of practice activities in the form of observation of the surrounding environment, social research in the local agencies.
Some parents assess, extracurricular activities are very useful. For example, Eli Sulistyo, one of the parents deems her daughter enjoys various activities at school in the form of discussions and field observation.
EDUCATION NEWS MONITORING SERVICE 