Lately, there has been quite a lot of exposure regarding the new model of curriculum in Indonesia called Kurikulum Merdeka. The Minister of Education, Culture and Research, Bp. Nadiem Makarim, stated that Kurikulum Merdeka is more in-depth in providing comprehensive learning. He also mentioned that this curriculum has been applied as one of the options along with Kurikulum 2013 and Kurikulum Darurat. Schools are allowed to determine which curriculum to apply according to their readiness.

What is actually Kurikulum Merdeka?

Kurikulum Merdeka is a curriculum with diverse intracurricular learning in which the content will be more optimal so that students have enough time to explore concepts and strengthen their competencies. This curriculum is the initial step to overcome the learning crisis happening in Indonesia.
Bp. Nadiem Makarim mentioned that Kurikulum Merdeka is essential to prepare young generations for the future. According to The Ministry of Education, Culture and Research site, the final evaluation of Kurikulum Merdeka as the national curriculum will be carried out in 2024. The transition from Kurikulum 2013 to Kurikulum Merdeka will be a long journey of change. It takes a great deal of determination and time to make this happen.
At Sekolah Victory Plus, this future learning model is applied through the International Baccalaureate. The International Baccalaureate (IB) has been recognized as a very comprehensive and rigorous learning program all over the world.

How does Kurikulum Merdeka have in common with the IB curriculum?

Concept-based and Project- based learning

The Minister of Education, Culture and Research, Bp. Nadiem Makarim, explained that Kurikulum Merdeka allows students to experience concept-based learning through various projects according to their learning unit. Teachers also have the flexibility to choose various teaching tools so that learning can be tailored to the learning needs and interests of students. Similar things applied in the IB curriculum at SVP, it is called Approaches to Learning (ATL). ATLs are deliberate strategies, skills and attitudes that permeate the teaching and learning environment. ATL allows teachers to help their students to learn how to learn.

Students’ Learning Agency
With project-based learning, students learn to cultivate responsibility and ownership of the learning process. At Sekolah Victory Plus, we value students’ VOC (Voice, Choice, and Ownership). By having voice, choice, and ownership, students play an active role in deciding what and how they will learn. They also tend to show greater motivation to learn and are more likely to define objectives for their learning.

Well-rounded development
Both the IB curriculum and Kurikulum Merdeka aim at enhancing students’ competencies and character development. The IB curriculum creates lifelong learners and global citizens through the IB learner profile. Sekolah Victory Plus provides a challenging, nurturing and intentionally multi-cultural educational environment where students can learn to embrace cultural differences. They grow the attitudes of respect, caring, and responsibility. In Kurikulum Merdeka, there is Profil Pembelajar Pancasila that enables students to foster essential character development; Faithful, Noble, Global Citizen, Cooperative, Independent, Critical Thinking, and Creative.

Parents’ involvement
These two curricula have the same intention when it comes to parents’ involvement. Based on the guiding principles of Kurikulum Merdeka provided by the government, parents are expected to be actively involved in student learning. Parents also can access the link to the textbook used at school. In the IB curriculum, parents are partners in creating a meaningful learning experience. Students, teachers, and parents work together to track and set the optimal goals for the students’ learning journey.

The Ministry of Education and Culture is making systemic changes. It will be a reformation involving so many stages such as an education evaluation system, organising a teacher recruitment and training system, assisting education agencies, and also strengthening budgets and institutions.

This new model of curriculum is the future of education in Indonesia, and at Sekolah Victory Plus, we have been implementing the IB curriculum since 2007. With this curriculum we implement what is needed for the future NOW !.