Schools Work to Overcome Learning Loss

Many teachers are worried about the state of education in Indonesia. As a result, they turn to various innovations to initiate their own changes.

KOMPAS/ESTER LINCE NAPITUPULU

Learning activities at Sermo 1 Public Elementary School, Kulon Progo Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, (15/2/2023), in a positive school environment. Teachers who join the Fun School Movement (GSM) community implement humane education in schools, as an implementation of the educational spirit of Ki Hadjar Dewantara.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Long before the government promoted breakthrough programs to overcome learning loss, many schools, teachers and the education community had made their own efforts. They created and implemented various innovations of learning.

According to the results of the 2021 National Assessment, education in schools has yet to meet expectations in teaching basic skills, such as literacy, numeracy and students’ character. Schools are constantly overwhelmed by programs and policies from the central and regional governments, which are often incompatible with the conditions and needs of schools.

Teachers in Supiori district, Papua, for one, refuse to continue providing education that is meaningless and of poor quality to their students. According to an elementary school teacher, Elisabeth Dimara, these changes have not only occurred in her school but in schools across Supiori district.

Also read:

> Exploring Creativity Through Boundaries

The Supiori Education Center supports its teachers to learn school principles that are fun and humanizing. These principles are easier to understand compared with the training programs provided by the local administration.

“I was nervous and not confident about being able to teach children, even though I went to school to become a teacher. The children’s characters were harsh, disrespectful to teachers and they liked to bully their peers. I always had to be forceful with the children and learning was only focused on textbooks,” Elisabeth said on Monday (1/5/2023).

Children in Supriori, by and large, were unenthusiastic about going to school. They were often absent from school, because being at school was no better than being at home. Children were taught harshly and forced to master textbooks.

Changing paradigms

In 2019, Elisabeth formed an educational paradigm from her introduction to the Fun School Teacher (GSM) community. This paradigm allowed her to become more than a teacher who only expected good test scores from students.

Only through the willingness to interact, listening to children’s reasons, and providing a positive learning environment will changes occur. Children enjoy coming to school without fear of the rattan, a symbol of the teacher’s authority that cannot be questioned.

KOMPAS/ESTER LINCE NAPITUPULU

Students at Pendulan Public Elementary School, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, (15/2/2023), are excited to enter the classroom. One of the teachers welcomes students with a greeting style that is freely chosen by students so that they feel happy and happy while studying at school.

A male student in grade II of SDN Sermo 1 in Kulon Progo regency, Yogyakarta, shared his feelings with the teacher in his class without hesitation. He and the other students are free to express their emotions without fear of being laughed at.

SDN Sermo 1 is a small school, but its environment is very different from other schools. The walls of each classroom are filled with pictures in accordance with the theme chosen by the class, whether it is space, nature or culture.

At Pendulan public elementary school in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, the principal and teachers collaborate with the parents to support the school’s mission that not only focuses on the children’s achievements in test scores. The parents believe schools should not only be academically oriented, but also respect the potential of each student in other fields, such as arts, sports and the children’s character.

Also read:

> Juliana, A Journey of Endless Devotion

> Loving Learning at the ‘School of Love’

The GSM co-founder Novi Poespita Candra said the world of education needed teachers with meraki character, a Greek word to describe doing something with soul, creativity and love. “Children have a joy for learning and that curiosity and critical thinking can be built through the learning process at school,” said Novi, who is also a psychology lecturer at Gadjah Mada University.

On various occasions, Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim said educational transformation must be carried out to overcome learning loss. The Freedom to Learn Policy, with its many episodes, aims to create a happy future for Indonesian schools.

In the webinar The Present Face of Education: Philosophy, Orientation, Policy and Practice held on Monday (1/5/2023), a researcher from the Youth, Human Capital and the Future of Work Research Group of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Norman Luther Aruan, said the concept of blended learning through combining the roles of teachers and technology was still the most effective learning method. “In terms of prospects going forward, we cannot get ahead of ourselves or rely too heavily on the massive use of technology. The role of the teacher is still important,” he said.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.