country paper

Policies and practices in Vocational Education System in Indonesia

by:

Adisti Prihandani, SS

(2011)

Part 1

As stated in 1945 Indonesian Constitution that one of the goals of Republic Of Indonesia is to educate its citizens, so every citizen has a right to receive qualified education based on his/her interest and talent without considering social, race, ethnical, religious and gender status. Access equalization and increasing of the education’s quality will lead Indonesian citizen’s to have life skills to be more civilized and modern in the frame of Pancasila.

In 2010, the president declared three missions of national development. They are to realize a peaceful and save country, to realize democratic people and to realize prosperous people. To realize those missions, National Education takes an important role. Being qualified people, all citizens have ability to increase the quality of science, knowledge and technology and their productivity.

We are entering the third millennium. All developed countries agreed that the increasing of the education’s quality in order to master science and technology is the prerequisite to gain prosperity. That is why focus of the National Education is to develop education sector in order to increase people’s prosperity and keep environment. The result, then, is able to be an asset to build knowledge-based society.

Knowledge and science are a new basic for the prosperity of a nation. It depends on the nation itself to realize knowledge and science as a basic of its economical and industrial system. We know that role of the knowledge and science in a continuous development will bring significant effect in increasing a nation’s productivity and is able to grow innovation to improve the nation’s competitiveness on the global competition.

Part 2

Vocational High School in the past…….

Indonesian people used to think that the quality of Vocational High School was not as good as Senior High School. Only a few people sent their children to Vocational High School. Graduating from Junior High school, students competed to entry Senior High Schools. The ones who had the higher score in National Examination had the more chance to choose which school they wanted to study in. On the other hand, students having low score in National Examination had almost no chance to choose but studying in Vocational High School. In other word, students of Vocational High School were the ones who had no choices to school because they were not smart enough to study at Senior High School.

Moreover, gender biased in choosing Vocational High School. Students who studied at Technical Vocational High Schools were mostly male. Only 1 to 5 % were female. Consequently, these schools were branded as school for naughty students. Also, Tourism Vocational High Schools were dominated by female students. So, it was a little bit strange for male students to study in Tourism Vocational High Schools, although they were interested to study there. Such kind of matter led people to think twice before deciding to send their children to study at Vocational High School.

In addition, Indonesian people considered that after graduating from Senior High School and university, they would be easy to find a job. Senior High School graduate and university graduate were the one with high intellegencia level, so they deserved a bright future. In fact, it didn’t run like that. There were a lot of Senior High School graduates and university graduates who were jobless. It was not because they were not smart nor they had bad scores in their academic report.

Time goes by…….

Everything is changing. Unemployment keeps increasing from time to time. Indonesian Government find that there are a lot of senior high school and universities graduates who are job less, meanwhile, there are still a lot of vacancies. Then, it comes to the conclusion that the vacancies need skilled people rather than educationally smart people. Technician, babysitter, carpenter, shopkeeper, electrician, hairdresser, hotel’s employees, cook, chef, waiter need skill. Even, in Germany, teacher should be a person who works at that field. So he knows much about the field. Example, teacher of Technical Vocational School must be a technician, who really masters in his field.

I don’t say that there is no use to go to the senior high school and university. We do need academically smart people to think about the development and improvement of Indonesia. Still, we need them as a good thinker, to think how to make this country be in a good prosperity. But not in large number. These people are the chosen ones graduating from senior high school and continuing studying at the university.

However, the others may go to the Vocational High School, in which they learn and practice skill. We know that, Vocational High School prepares students to work as soon as they graduate. There are a lot of vacancies available.  They may fulfill them in the local industry. Otherwise, they may be an entrepreneur since they have knowledge about entrepreneurship and competencies, that they have learnt on the Vocational High School, to be called as a skilled people.

Then, the government starts to promote Vocational High School which offers skill in each field. As stated in Strategic Plan 2010-2014 (Renstra 2010-2014), Ministry of National Education targets the ratio of students studying at Senior High School to Vocational High School is 33% : 67% in 2014. Gradually, Vocational High School becomes more popular than it was. Indonesian people respond this policy very well. Their mindset has changed. It is proved by the increasing of the number of students studying at Vocational High School in most of areas in Indonesia.

In Malang East Java, for example, there were 12 Senior High Schools and 8 Vocational High School. Responding the policy, there are 10 Senior High Schools and 12 Vocational High Schools now. 

Tabel 1: Achievement in Increasing Education Relevancy

No.	Indicator	(2004)	Realization
			2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
1	Ratio of the number  of students of VHS : SHS	30:70	32:68	35:65	43:57	46:54	50:50

Taken from Renstra

The increasing number of Vocational High Schools and its students must be in line with the quality of learning process in each school. There are several possible ways to increase the quality of learning process. One of them is by increasing skill and knowledge of the teachers. As we know that technology keeps changing into the better one. There are lot of new things come in this world everyday. This emerges teachers to increase their knowledge as well as skill.

Vocational Education Development Centre (VEDC) is a place offering training in knowledge, vocational skill, education, management, entrepreneurship, and making teaching aid. Besides, it actively takes place in the development of both government and non government education and training institutions.

As stated before that Indonesian Government thinks that the increasing number of Vocational High Schools and its students must be in line with the quality of learning process in each school. This thought is in order to provide students with competency skill and ability to adapt new technology in working areas.

In order to realize the Strategic Plans of Ministry of National Education (Renstra 2010-2014), there are some strategic steps to increase the quality of Adaptive Lessons learning in Vocational High Schools that the government takes. The first step is by enriching the material of Adaptive Lessons (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biologics) in line with the technology development in working areas. Still, Permendiknas no.22 and 23 year 2006 are as the referent of the minimum standard that must be developed based on demand.

Secondly, Vocational High School Guidance Directorate in cooperation with “Sepuluh November” Institute has completed Basic Competencies Standard and syllabus for the Adaptive Lessons. These materials must be taught at all level on the academic year of 2009/2010 and will be the referent in composing the material of National Examination at the same academic year.

 

In order to promote Vocational High School, Indonesian government broadens various types of vocational education i.e. Big Vocational High School (SMK Besar) for them in industrial area, Vocational High School in Pesantren (a place to learn more about Islam), Vocational High School in remote area or village.

Furthermore, in order to support students’ achievement, the government holds programs to prepare the students with special achievement to joint in national and international competitions, such as Lomba Ketrampilan Siswa tingkat Nasional (Students’ Skill Competition, for national scale), Asian Skill Competition, for regional scale, and World Skill Competition, for International scale.

Part 3

In general, education in Indonesia, as a developing country, used to apply a “ top to down” system. Idris (2002) stated that "...governments in DCs (Developing Countries) tend to control education tightly. In some Developing Countries like Indonesia, not only teachers but university and college faculty members of state universities are employed as public servants and until the fall of Suharto's regime in 1998, all public servants were required to vote for the government party, Golkar. Being public servants, teachers and faculty are therefore also subjected to a lot of other rules and regulations. What to teach, how to teach, when to teach, what books and materials to use and so on are all prescribed by the government.

... Centralized control is the norm and consequently devolution and empowerment are disallowed, at a time when empowerment has been shown to be a basic requirement for creativity and innovation, which in turn have also been shown to be necessary in educational development.

...In  line  with  that  political  philosophy  comes  the  equally  debilitating  education  methodology.  In  such  an environment a  top-down, often one-way  teaching communication and  teacher all-knowing situation  is  the only allowed methodology….”

The top down system in education, especially dealing with curriculum, applied National Curriculum, which is of course nation wide. Since all the governmental systems were centralized, the government composed a fixed curriculum together with its regulations and policies. They were applied in all areas of Indonesia.

However, Indonesia is an archipelago country, which creates diversity. This type of curriculum, which was suitable for one area, did not always run well in other area. Why? It is because each area has its own characteristics, has its own potencies, which differs each other. Then, outputs of schools in Indonesia, applying the National Curriculum, were not always relevant to the ones needed by the local industries. In some areas, there was a link and match between the school’s outputs and the vacancies in industry. On the other hand, there were some gaps between them. Then, we may conclude that the top down curriculum cannot always respond what are needed by the local industry.

Compared to the recent policy 

Then, Indonesian Government changed the system into ‘down to top’ one. There is no more what so called as National Curriculum. Instead, each unit of education (school) composes and applies each own curriculum based on its area’s characteristics and potencies. “Curriculum, at any levels of education, is developed based on each educational units (school), potencies of each area, and its learners.” (UU No.2 Thn. 2003 tentang Sisdiknas Bab X Pasal 36(2)). Schools, in an area having many industries, have different curriculum to those with few industries. In doing so, each area is able to provide Vocational High School outputs which are relevant to those needed by industries.

Then, UU No.2 Thn. 2003 tentang Sisdiknas Bab X Pasal 36(3) said that curriculum is composed based on education levels and should consider: diversity of regional potencies, demand of industry, development of the science, technology and art, and the dynamic global development. It shows that curriculum must be in line with condition and characteristics of its regional potencies. Furthermore, curriculum needs to be reformed or renewed based on the development of science and technology.

Curriculum Reformation

The government of Indonesia has changed the curriculum at least five times. (1968, 1975, 1984, 1994, 2004/KTSP). Why should the curriculum change? We know that the Indonesian Cabinet is changed every five years. Each minister has its own rules and policies. Besides, it should be changed in line with the development of knowledge and technology, which are always renewed. Even, Herry Widyastono, Chairman of Curriculum Center of Research and Development Centre, said that the governmental system is changed, the number of the provinces in Indonesia is changed, the way the weather changing is also changed and computer program is no longer using WS-4 and WS-7 (Word Star) but Windows.

The latest curriculum is what so called as KTSP, Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (Curriculum based on each Units of Education). This type of curriculum is one of the products of down to top system, which is decentralized. It is stated at the UU No.2 Thn. 2003 tentang Sisdiknas Bab X Pasal 38, that curriculum for the basic and intermediate level of education is developed based on its relevance to each educational units and school committee and under the supervision of the City Office of Education for the basic level and Province Office of Education for the intermediate level. It means that the one who is in charge of composing curriculum is each unit of education while the local government is to coordinate and to supervise. In addition, Peraturan Pemerintah No. 19/2005 added that the KTSP and its syllabus are using basic frame of curriculum and graduate competency standard.

Giving authority to school and its committee to compose its own curriculum is an implementation of autonomous policy in education management in order to form a school based management. However, the autonomy is not the one with no limitation and reference. Instead, it must refer to curriculum basic frame and graduate competency standard. It reflects unity in policy and diversity in application. The frame and the standard are developed by BSNP (Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan), an institution which standardize the National Education, and is legalized by National Education Minister.

Internal and External Assessment

The KTSP requires two kinds of assessment. They are Internal assessment, which is done by teachers and school, and External assessment, which involves government and industry. The latest is used as quality controller.

The Internal Assessment must be continuously and include all basic competencies. It is used to monitor the process, improvement and remedial of the subject taught. It may be written, oral, product, portfolio and observation, depends on the characteristics of the material or competency assessed.

One type of this kind of assessment is that school examination. The subjects assessed are those stated in the Permendiknas no.22/2006. They are Religion, Civics, Indonesian Language, Health Education, Culture, Mathematics, English, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Social, Computer skill, Entrepreneurship, and Local Content. Local competency may differ from one area to other based on its potencies. This examination is held before the National Examination.  

The External Assessment is held by the government and representative of industry.

Based on Permen (Minister’s Rules) No. 20/2007, National Examination is used by the government as a referent of giving guidance and grant for each school in order to increase its educational quality. In addition, the analysis of the score of the National Examination is used for program quality mapping. Moreover, it is used as a requirement of graduation and to entry the next level of education.  

There were four subjects in National Examination for Vocational High School, Indonesian Language, Mathematics, English, and Competency Mastery. The latest is held and arranged by each school in coordination with the industry. It represents the ability of the students in practicing the competencies that they have studied both at school and industry (during apprenticeship). The representatives of the industry involve in the process of assessment. They attend the examination, and score the students performance. Also, they issue Competencies Assessment certificate for the students. This certificate is very useful for the students in applying for a job.

 

In 2010, the government required one more subject for the National Examination, that is theory of Competency Mastery. This subject shows how students master the theory of the competencies.

The scores of the National Examination, what so called as NUN (Nilai Ujian Nasional) are reported to schools and as one of the requirement of students graduation. There are some rules dealing with the score, it must be more than 4.25 with the minimum average of 5.00. Otherwise, they are failed from the National Examination and have to retake the examination on the following academic year.

In 2008 and 2009, Indonesian government gave an alternative solution for students who were failed in the National Examination. These students were sent to non formal education institution and joint its National Examination. Non formal education institution is supported by Ministry of Education and equals to the formal education. It holds “Kejar” (Kelompok Belajar) programs, for dropped out students to enable them to obtain primary school, junior high school, and senior high school diploma. These programs are mostly based on printed self-instructional materials and regular tutorial services. At the end of the academic year, it holds National Examination and issues graduation certificates, which are equal to the ones from the formal education.

In my perspective as a teacher of Vocational High School and a tutor of a non formal education institution, it is a little bit unfair for the failed students to joint in the non formal National Examination and to get its graduation certificate, which is, of course, different from the ones issued by the formal education institution.

In 2010, the government gave the second chance for the students who were failed from the National Examination. It held two National Examinations on the same academic year. The second one was for them who did not pass the first National Examination.  

In 2011, the government has launched a new rule dealing with the scoring of National Examination. It creates a new formula, which combines the scores of the National Examination and the scores of school examination with a ratio of 60% for National Examination and 40% for school Examination. This combination, then, will be the referent to decide the students’ graduation. 

REFFERENCES

Rencana Strategis Kementrian Pendidikan Nasional Tahun 2010 – 2014

Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional No. 22-23 tahun 2006

Undang-undang No.2 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional

Peraturan Menteri No.20 tahun 2007

Peraturan Pemerintah No. 19 tahun 2005

Petunjuk Teknis Pelaksanaan Ujian Nasional dan Ujian Sekolah untuk SMK tahun 2011, Departemen Pendidikan Nasional

Herry Widyastomo, a presentation titled “Kebijakan Pengembangan Kurikulum, Kabid Kurikulum Puskur Balitbang Depdiknas”

Paulina Pannen, PhD, a country report titled “Distance Education Public Policy and Practice in the Higher Education : The Case of Indonesia”,