Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim stated that his ministry is working on several initiatives to improve teaching quality in schools next year. “All of our teachers across Indonesia work because of their calling, not for money or just looking for a stable job, but they work to serve. We will launch several programmes for teachers next year,” Makarim revealed while making a speech at the 2021 National Teacher Day commemoration.
To applaud teachers for their perseverance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry will not only provide them with communication information technology assistance, such as laptops and projectors, but it will also open various technology platforms to aid them in teaching and learning activities, he explained. Furthermore, he stated that the ministry will give online training that teachers will be able to participate freely based on their ability, “Teachers can join the programmes, the training independently, based on their capabilities, not only learning practical theories from teachers to teachers.”
According to Makarim, the ministry will also offer a curriculum that encourages more independent instruction and will test it in some schools. According to the minister, the curriculum will be made more relevant and practical so that teachers can readily comprehend it and adjust it to students’ needs and skills.
He stated that the curriculum is being written to provide opportunities for teachers to create and innovate to make the learning process easier. In addition, he said the ministry will work to ensure the welfare of honorary instructors through the recruitment of contract-based government employees (PPPK). All honorary teachers will be able to take and pass the test to join the PPPK pool, which will further increase teaching quality.
In addition, the World Bank collaborates with the Australian government and the World Bank to improve teaching and learning in Indonesia through the Improving Dimensions of Teaching, Education Management, and Learning Environment (ID-TEMAN) programme. It began in 2016 and builds on the World Bank’s research and analysis done in conjunction with the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture since 2005. Its goal is to help Indonesia realise its educational potential by increasing teaching and learning through improved policy, operations, and implementation.
The initiative assists the government in overcoming obstacles to better education results, with the goal of helping Indonesia meet its education service delivery targets in its medium-term development plan.
OpenGov Asia reported Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim has called for the simultaneous development of artificial intelligence and character intelligence on the part of its users and creators. The minister emphasised that artificial intelligence has been in development for at least two decades and is now a part of people’s daily lives in the country.
Administrative duties, which are typically a burden for lecturers during the accreditation application process, can now be facilitated using technology. Education will also become more personal as students will be able to develop themselves based on their interests and skills. Makarim encouraged students to develop not only their general intelligence but also their character to face future challenges.
“The development of science and the global situation will accelerate the application of AI in various fields and will have a massive impact on the world of work in the future. This will be unavoidable, and we cannot stop it,” he noted.
The minister was confident that AI will help in the future in addressing a variety of issues, including those faced by educational institutions such as universities. According to him, AI will assist the university in accelerating the quality of its institution and education, which is in line with the purpose of Freedom Study – Freedom Campus.
