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Monday, July 1, 2013

The Curriculum 2013 and English Learning in Primary Schools

           
            In the world of education, curriculum is a plan to get an out-come that is expected from the learning process. The plan is arranged structurally for each field, so that it gives a compass and instructions to develop the strategies of learning (Grayson,1978). A Curriculum is also helpful for the students to reach the maximum goal of what they have learned (Nengly and Evaras, 1976).  A curriculum therefore is a learning program specifically designed and systematically arranged for the benefits of a group of students. It is given to the schools to achieve the goal of education. As a program design, a curriculum is the base of the learning process where success and failure depends are measured in relation to the understanding of the curriculum being used.

            Particularly in Indonesia, the school curriculum has been modified and improved for many times to create a sterling education and better learning opportunities for the Indonesians. For about seven years, the goverment has considered the curriculum of KTSP or SBC curriculum as the one that should be followed and taught in Indonesian schools. Due to the rapid development of the modern era with modern pedagogical methods that come to existence, the KTSP curriculum may have been judged to be less practical especially that it includes too many school subjects for the students.  Therefore, the goverment proposed a new curriculum called “Curriculum 2013” to replace the old one. In primary schools, the new curriculum will reduce the number of subjects students have to study. The subject of Indonesian language, for example, was designed to include chapters about science and social studies subjects. However, the main difference lies in the fact the English language subject will no longer be taught in the primary Indonesian schools as a part of the new 2013 curriculum scheme. In other word, English language subject might have been considered by the curriculum committee as an extracurricular subject. Excluding the English subject from the curriculum of primary school  students will indeed bring about some positive, but for the most part, negative impact on the students' English language academic performance. 

            After the implementation of curriculum 2013, the students of primary schools might not have any familiarity with the English language. English then will be taught after the students have graduated from the primary schools and started their junior schools. In this case, students of junior high schools will probably have difficulties in acquiring a new language that they were not taught before in a formal teaching setting. The influence of LAD in their brain is the reason. Chomsky believes that all children are born with LAD (Language Aquisition Device). It functions as a tool to gain or learn a language and how children learn language. LAD develops when the children are at the age of infant until the childhood. They can gain a million words during the mastery of language in their environment. Nevertheless, LAD has low development as long as they grow up. However, it can still be functioned but the improvement is slightly not much unlike when they were in chilhood. Based on the Chomsky’s theory, it is important to implement english in primary school. This gives a great benefit to the children. Children master language easier than adults, it also depicts on Lightbown and Spada’s book, entitled “How Languages Are Learned : 8” they state that children develop more sophisticated metalinguistic awarness. These abilities expand and grow till at the age of 12. Obviously, the mastery of a new language is done at the early age. In addition, when children master the vocabulary building, they have ability to understand and produce hundreds or even few thousand words, then many more are learned at school. It has been depicted clearly that the implementation of curriculum 2013 can be pitied if it does not make english as one of the main lesson in primary school or at least as the local content (muatan lokal). The children’s chance in mastering a new language will not function in a maximum way. The similar incident is also experianced by a housewife named Anie Andari, she states that her son learned language when he was in primary school. She enrolls her son to the international school when her family moves abroad. At the first time, she was worried because he had no experiance of english, he even did not speak english at all. Unwittingly, After eight months later he could speak english fluently, Anie was surprised with her son’s language development and she believed that children master a new language very easy. Even she now enrolls her son into arabic and france class. She also states that around the age of 10 or under of it, this is the right time to children to learn new language, based on http://bahasa.kompasiana.com, 13rd April 2012. The evidence above will be revealed when the curriculum 2013 is implemented in primary school. The children’s ability in a language mastery does not extend, thus it will be limited and not function maximum.

            By not implementing english as the course in primary school, the education in Indonesia, particularly in the term of language, can be left behind by neighboring countries like Malaysia, Brunnei, or India which have applied english as the part of their language. The real thing is that parents also do not agree with the goverment’s dicision, Lita Anggareni as the civil servant, said that how a pity if english is removed! The children have learned english now, however it will be eliminated in a sudden way, what a pity they are! Why is the curriculum here suffered setback?  http://theglobejournal.com/Pendidikan/bahasa-inggris-di-sd-dihapus-orangtua-protes/index.php. The similar thought is also voiced by Inggrid, she said that the basic learning of english should be introduced since primary school because in the future, this language will take a part in everything. It is same as that english should be learned since elementary school so that the students will be ready to face the future. In this case, if english is not applied in early school age, the mastery of english will influence children’s competition in the term of language while our neighboring countries have been familiar with english. They will have a problem in communication if they have to understand some terms in english such as computer which uses english as the main language and modern era which most statements use english. Thus, the ability of the students of primary schools will decrease, mainly in the term of language mastery when it is compared with the neighboring countries.

            As the curriculum 2013 will be implemented, english will not the main lesson but it may be as an extracurricular. However, as an extracurricular, all students may not choose english as their additional lesson, because they feel they do not need, but actually they do, if they are aware of it. This means that students may choose the other extracurricular offered which can be implemented directly through activities, such as sports or anything else. Another word, english as an extracurricular does not cover all students. That is why, just make english as a local content at least, but not an extracurricular. On the other way, for some people, this may help them by enrolling their kids into the english intitute or private tutoring. However, most english intitutions here cost much money that they have to pay. For example, in some big cities in Indonesia like Jakarta or Bandung, the fee of privat tutoring can reach Rp. 520.000 or Rp. 400.000 to 450.000 per month for Bandung based on http://lesbimbel-gemaprestasi.blogspot.com/2013/01/mahalnya-biaya-les-privat-di-jakarta.html. It can be said that most kids who enroll this institute are from rich people, particylarly in some big cities, because these will be the main point of view. Even in Yogyakarta, there is one english intitute that define the fee up to Rp. 1.450.000 per level with 24 meetings. On the contrary, the poor students whose average economic may not be able to enroll such kind of the program. Moreover, most indonesian people have average economic. It can be said that because of this, the nation of Indonesia can be left in the term of language. Surely, due to this case, indonesia students will be obstructed in mastering the new language if the curriculum is done. However, if the curriculum keeps making english as the main course properly or at least a local content, this may help the students of elementary school know english better. Thus, even though english can not be the main lesson, but goverment can make english as a local content at least in curriculum 2013, it can familiarize the students to know english in early age.

            However, above all those negative effects, there will be a good one of the implementation of curriculum 2013. The purpose of government’s plan that english should be removed is that they want to develop the nation that has cultural characters, religion and Indonesian language. This is to guide the students’ character development since the early age through the science of morality and character education. Beside it, the moral value will be emphasized on Indonesian and local language so that the students master their mother tongue first than the foreign language and its culture. It is due to the globalization era has reduced the culture of Indonesia, most people now forget about the identity of Indonesia. They like foreign product more than local. Moreover, if english is no longer available in primary schools, the students will focus on Indonesian language and culture. The deputy of education and culture, Musliar Kasim states that the main reason why english is removed is that the base level of children, they need to learn Indonesian language first that is not surely they can master well and also its philosophical sense. Moreover if they have to learn english at the same time, they will be pitied (http://kampus.okezone.com/read/2012/10/10/373/702119/bahasa-inggris-sd-akan-dihapus, 10 October 2012). It will be fine that there will be a proof that Ir. Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia, had learned several languages including English and Germany. Not only he was good at speech using Indonesian language but also those foreign languages. Although he could speak some kinds of language, he kept loving his own nation, Indonesia. His affection for Indonesia was great until he became the first president for 21 years. Nevertheless, in Soekarno’s era, there was no globalization like this. The comparison of technology has not been booming like now. This is the evidence that the development of the world can change the culture of nation. In addition, the widespread of internet in whole the world can also support this situation. Thus, the expectation of government of Indonesia in repealing English in primary school can help the student learn the identity of this nation more focus.

            The elimination of English in primary schools can be good and bad. The good effect is that the students of primary schools can focus on Indonesian language and culture based on its moral value. Students can learn better Indonesian language in details and its philosophy without any constraint of foreign language. However, this case can also bring some effects such as the students’ ability in mastering languages can not be extended. Then, in the term of language, the students of primary schools will get backwardness from the other countries. Although English can not be the main course, at least make English as the local content, not extracurricular which does not encompass all students. So, whatever decision will be taken by the government, there will be positive and negative sides.

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