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The
Educational Process
Pre-Primary
Education | Basic
Education | Secondary
Education |
Primary
and junior secondary education (basic
education)
Six
years of compulsory education for children
aged 7-12 were institutionalized in 1984. As
a result, the participation rate at the primary
level reached 92.1% in 1993, compared to 79.3%
in 1983. As of 1994, the programme has been
extended to cover students in the age group
13-15 years (i.e. junior secondary school).
The policy has been recognized as the nine-year
compulsory basic education. The major purpose
of the extension is to alleviate the problem
of child labour and to keep children in school
up to the point where they are able to keep
up with the changing demands of society, especially
those who cannot afford to pursue a higher
level of education.
In
addition to primary and junior secondary education,
there is also an Islamic primary school administered
by the Ministry of Religious Affairs: the Islamic
primary school (Madrasah Ibtidaiyah), equivalent
to primary school, and the Islamic junior secondary
school (Madrasah Tsanawiyah), equivalent to
junior secondary school.
Primary
education provides general education. The goal
of basic education is to develop the lives
of children as individuals, members of society,
citizens and members of mankind, as well as
to prepare them to pursue their studies in
secondary education. The core content of the
basic education curriculum consists of: Pancasila,
religion, civic education, Indonesian language,
reading and writing, mathematics, introduction
to science and technology, geography, national
and general history, handicraft and arts, sports
and health education, drawing, English language,
and local content areas. More than one element
may be joined in one subject matter; or, vice
versa, one element may be divided into more
than one subject. The 1994 basic education
curriculum was implemented in phases until
the end of the 1996/97 academic year. The weekly
lesson timetable is presented in the table
below:
Basic
education (primary and junior secondary school):
weekly lesson timetable
| Subject |
Number
of weekly periods in each grade |
| Primary |
Junior
Secondary |
| I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
VI |
VII |
VIII |
IX |
| Pancasila [Principles
of the State’s philosophy] education |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Religious
education |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Indonesian
language |
10 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Mathematics |
10 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Science |
- |
- |
3 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Social
studies |
- |
- |
3 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Handicraft
and arts |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Health
and sports |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
>
2 |
| English
language |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Local
content |
2 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
Total
weekly periods |
30 |
30 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
42 |
42 |
42 |
42 |
Each
teaching period lasts 30 minutes in Grades
I–II, 40 minutes in Grades III–VI,
and 45 minutes at the junior secondary level.
Integrated or general science is taught at
the primary level, while combined science (biology
and physics) is taught in the lower secondary
school. Social studies include history and
geography. Pancasila education includes civic
education.
The
net enrolment ratio for primary school increased
from 58.4% in 1968 to 94.5% in 1999/2000. The
evolution of the enrolment ratio at the junior
secondary level is also meaningful, although
it still needs to be improved. The gross enrolment
ratio at the junior secondary level grew from
17.1% in 1968 to 57.8% in 1994 (71.8% in 1999/2000),
while the net enrolment ratio increased from
39.6% in 1989/90 to 54.9% in 1999/2000. Apart
from socio-geographical reasons, male students
have better opportunities of admission than
girls. In 1994/95, the enrolment rate of boys
at the primary level was 51.8% (girls: 48.2%),
and 52.7% at the junior secondary level (girls:
47.3%).
As
part of the expansion of educational opportunities
at the basic education level and within the
initial stage of the nine-year basic education
programme, junior secondary education was developed.
However, the number of pupils continuing their
studies at the junior secondary level remained
low. By intensifying the junior secondary school
(JSS) expansion, it is hoped that within fifteen
years, all 13 million of primary school graduates
will have the opportunity to enter junior secondary
schools. The JSS expansion will be supported
by the building of new schools, hiring new
teachers, developing more infrastructure and
facilities and by the development of the open
junior secondary school programme for students
aged 13-15 who are not able to follow the regular
JSS.
In
1993/94, the input-output ratio at the primary
level was 78%. The input-output ratio is influenced
by the number of pupils repeating and dropping
out at certain grades. The number of primary
school drop-outs is relatively high, i.e. 3.2%
or almost one million students. The average
repetition rate is reported at 7.6%, representing
about two million of primary school pupils.
The percentage of repeaters in the first year
of primary education is extremely high (14.2%).
In 1998, the average pupil-teacher ratio was
22:1 at the primary level and 18:1 at the lower
secondary level (MOEC, 1999).
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