Jakarta (Suara Pembaruan: 27/07/06) National Education Ministry is asked to inform the public about the Education Ministry Regulation (Permendiknas) No 22/2006 on Content Standard and Permendiknas No. 23/2006 on Competency Standard. So far many schools in Jakarta are still unaware about those regulations. When being asked by Pembaruan on Wednesday (07/26), Laili Hadiati, a teacher at Senior High School 19 West Jakarta said her school had never received the copy of those Permendiknas that will determine the school curriculum. “We have never been informed about the new regulations. I have asked to the curriculum section in the school who said it has not obtained any copy of the regulations. I have been informed that the new curriculum is not much different with that of 2004," she said.

According to Laili Subject Teachers Council (MGMP) has not discussed the Permendiknas because no one receives complete information. However, if we have been informed that there would be no significant change of curriculum, as stipulated in the Permendiknas, we will not make any change in the classrooms, as wished by the government.
 
Inconsistency
Separately, education observer Darmaningtyas said that the two ministerial regulations are is a result of government’s inconsistency. "The creation of the Permendiknas reflects inconsistencies and confusion of policy-makers. Education entities are given the autonomy to draw up their own curriculum, but they are not given any autonomy to evaluate students’ performance, which is still in the hands of the government through the national examination," she told Pembaruan on Thursday (07/27).

The curriculum will be very varied with the introduction of the new regulations. However, as the same time, the government expect a standardize final result.
Darmaningtyas added, that the autonomy in curriculum-making as stipulated in the regulation will encourage schools using different textbooks.
"There should be no more official text books. In reality, schools will apply the curriculum set up by the BSNP. Therefore, the education curriculum is still centralized," she asserted.

Killing creativity
Sharing the same opinion, lecturer of Jakarta State University (UNJ), Susi Fitri, said the regulation is killing teachers’ creativity. "Content and Competency Standard designated in the Permendiknas is against our will to be more creative in education. Why? Because the Permendiknas is very constraining and it address too many details. Moreover the national examination is against the spirit of Competency-based curriculum," she said.
If the Permendiknas is believed to be able to make the curriculum more varied, it should be wise to curb the national examination.