THE BLACK AND WHITE SIDE OF NEW

CURRICULUM 2013
Education is the most important thing for human being because it can help
someone improve their status in society. With education, it will be easier to look
for a better job with better salary. Curriculum is one part of education which set
the course in educational institutions. Curriculum in Indonesia has often changed
since 1947, and now, the government has managed to change the previous
curriculum with the new one. The new curriculum that will replace the old
curriculum is curriculum 2013. Curriculum 2013 cause many problems because
people thinks that government is too imposing both students and teachers to do
all of what they want. Some people also think that the new curriculum will
confusing the students and burdening them with the system.
Let us start by considering some opinions from people who agree with the
new curriculum. Winataputra (2013) said that this was the future oriented
curriculum. We need a curriculum that has innovation to improve learning with
lesson study, open and distance learning, collaborative learning, project-based
learning, portfolio-based learning which were developed to increase learning
process. Here, Winataputra thoughts that new curriculum will provide the
demands of the times, and make education better for students. It is supported by
Nuh (2013), the Indonesian education minister, who said that learning system
must be reorganized in order to make students have good manners, not limited
only to strong skills. In curriculum 2013, we built not only knowledge and skill,
but also religion and manners. As the minister said, the government want to
make not only skills education, but also manners education, and they develop it

in new curriculum 2013. These two opinions reinforced by a statement from

Hersani (2013), who stated that Curriculum 2013 pushed students to be more
creative, innovative, and active so that the quality of education would increase.
Hersani agree with the new curriculum because it contain a lesson to make
students more creative in learning process. If students have creative thinking, the
quality of education will go up by itself.

Now let us turn to people who against the government decision about new
curriculum. Mardiatmadja (2013), stated that this curriculum saw the teachers
like workers, and students as an object in Education and Cultural Ministry
project. Here, Maardiatmadja thoughts that students and teachers as a victim of
the government experiment in education. The government do what they want
without thinking about teachers and students condition. The second opinion was
from Julianto (2013), he said that socialization to the teachers about curriculum
2013 was not optimal, it would be better if government made a revision, didnt
allow to their own need, but the system must be repaired and applied it if
everything has been perfect. Julianto made an opinion that the new curriculum is
too abrupt. The government should make a better system inside the curriculum
before socializing it to both teachers and students. Other person who gives the
opinion against the new curriculum is Listyarti (2013), the General Secretary of
Indonesian Teachers Union Federation. She said that they want President SBY
to cancel the new curriculum because, curriculum 2013 didnt has appropriate
urgency and goal for improving the quality of education in Indonesia. The
contents are bad with the high budget. From Lityartis statement, we can

conclude that the Indonesian Teachers Union Federation didnt want the
government change the curriculum. They believe that the new curriculum 2013
only spent high budget without clear target in improving the educations quality
itself.
From all opinions that pro or against the new curriculum, we can
understand that education in Indonesia is still not good enough. The government
has done so many actions in repairing the quality of educational system, in the
other hand some people think that it is too hard for both teachers and students to
follow the rapid changes in curriculum. Everyone hopes the best for education in
Indonesia, and the government, must do the best thing to actualize peoples
wishes.