The Removal of English as a Compulsory Subject in Primary and Secondary Schools in Indonesia

    Step into the heart of educational discourse with our latest blog post, "The Removal of English as a Compulsory Subject in Primary and Secondary Schools in Indonesia." In this exploration, we dissect the implications, challenges, and potential transformations stemming from this significant shift in language education policy in Indonesia. Join us as we navigate through the intricacies of this decision, shedding light on the diverse perspectives surrounding the removal of English as a compulsory subject. Let's embark on a journey of understanding, questioning, and envisioning the future of language education in Indonesia. 📚✨🔍

By Rugaiyah Ramadhani

    English is an international language that is widely used to communicate in all parts of the world. Quoted from the official website of Ethnologue, English ranks first as the most widely spoken language with a total of 1.452 billion speakers in the world, which includes speakers of English as a first language and second language. Not only that, but English has also been used as the official language in 61 countries with England and America as the main direction. This proves that learning English is a necessity and imperative for many people, especially for Indonesian students to develop their language skills and provide a great opportunity for them to compete internationally.

    In Indonesia, English is included as one of the adaptive subjects that are taught according to the circumstances at an education level from elementary school to college. Both formal and non-formal institutions are playing an active role in improving the skills of students and the quality of English language education in Indonesia. As a subject, English learns 4 language skills, namely listening, reading, speaking, and writing. These basic skills aim to develop students' ability to communicate at certain literacy levels.

    English began to become an official subject after receiving special attention in the realm of education at the beginning of Indonesian independence. This is based on the awareness that learning English is an important thing to learn to be able to compete in the modern world. English was then officially introduced as the first foreign subject in the early 1950s. According to data from Kompasiana (2018), English has developed into a compulsory subject that has been taught since the 1950 curriculum for the high school level and in the 1953 curriculum for the junior high school level. Then it was followed by the policy of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia in 1992 Section 0487 chapter VIII, which stated that elementary schools can also add English subjects to their curriculum (Kulsum, 2016). This is what underlies the inclusion of English subjects in primary and secondary schools in Indonesia.

    In subsequent developments, the popularity of the English language is increasingly recognized and made English lessons grow significantly. Many schools and institutes have begun to introduce English as a compulsory subject. Various efforts were then made to support this increase. Some of them are by preparing English language teachers, improving the curriculum, enhancing the quality of teachers, as well as learning facilities and infrastructure, and also developing teaching methods. These developments are still being carried out in order to realize the goals of learning English until now.

    However, the latest update to the recent revision of the National Education System Law (Sisdiknas Law) puts English language learning at the very risk of being excluded as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary school education. The government has officially submitted the revision of the law to the Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia in August 2022 in the national legislation program held in Jakarta.

    The removal of English as a compulsory material in primary schools was initially initiated in 2013 with the background that the use of the mother tongue should be optimized more than foreign languages. This decision was taken from the fact that in recent years, students' learning scores in Indonesian subjects were lower than in English. This raises concerns about the nationalism of the younger generation which is increasingly being eroded because it favors the language that is the identity of other countries compared to the mother tongue. In response to this, the Ministry of Education and Culture no longer includes English subjects as compulsory content for elementary school students since the 2013 curriculum and has been in effect since that year. The deputy education minister, Musliar Kasim, also added that English subjects were waived for elementary school students to give students time to strengthen their Indonesian language skills before studying a foreign language.

    After that in 2019, quoted from the Pojoksatu.id page, the Indonesian Teachers Association or Ikatan Guru Indonesia (IGI) held a meeting with the Minister of Education Nadiem Kariem to make changes in Indonesia’s education system. They proposed 10 points of change, one of which discussed the elimination of English lessons at the junior and senior high school levels. The general chairman of IGI Muhammad Ramli Rahim said that English should be made a compulsory subject in elementary schools along with Indonesian, mathematics, religious education, and Pancasila. "English will be removed at the junior and high school levels because it has already been completed in elementary school," said Ramli, as reported by Jawapost.com (2019). After rumors about the proposed removal of the English language circulated among the public, many parties then issued their opinions on this matter. Some people support the proposal from the Indonesian Teachers Association (IGI), but not a few people reject it being enforced.

    Those who reject the proposal argue that if English is only studied in elementary schools, it is not enough to make students able to master it well. Mastery of English does not only focus on grammar but also pays attention to several other skills that must be mastered by students. While the education observer, Mohammad Abduhzen has a different opinion. According to him, the decision to eliminate English as a mandatory content in elementary schools is considered the right one. He said that optimization of the mother tongue should be prioritized for lower classes as an introduction to teaching and learning activities so that language intelligence will be more developed, as well as capital for learning other languages at the next level (Abduhzen, 2022).

    Returning to the Revision of the Law on the National Education System, after being issued in August 2022, the pros and cons of many parties are getting heated. Especially in the elimination of English lessons which since previous years have become a hot topic of discussion. This is because these issues will be actually implemented throughout Indonesia if approved by the Representative Council (DPR).

    Referring to the draft of the 2022 National Education System Law in article 81 which regulates the basic framework of the curriculum at the primary and secondary education levels, it only includes 10 compulsory contents without English language education in it. Some of the compulsory subjects listed are Islamic religious education, Pancasila, mathematics, sciences, social, arts, physical education and sports, life skills, and compulsory content. Whereas previously, Law Number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System still presented English lessons as a compulsory subject. The existence of this latest law revision will remove the law that regulates the previous curriculum.

    This then led to various debates from education activists who questioned the existence of English lessons in the future. Whereas the current curriculum should be in accordance with the times that require mastery of English. The removal of English subjects is said to be able to result in the backwardness of the Indonesian state in the globalization world of the modernization era as it is now. Many parties then participated in providing criticism regarding the removal of English lessons in this bill.

    In this regard, The Association for The Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia (TEFLIN) also expressed their disagreement. TEFLIN considers that the removal of English from the compulsory content may result in the absence of official references for English and foreign language lessons in the curriculum structure in Indonesia in the future. "Elimination of English subjects from the primary and secondary school curriculum will cause our nation to be left behind by other countries in the world," said Utami Widiati as president of TEFLIN in a written statement received by Ayoindonesia.com (2022).

    In line with TEFLIN, the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) also considered that the National Education System bill was not compatible with globalization. They argue that English has a higher urgency from day to day to be able to compete globally and nationally. "The curriculum needs to be cooperative and open with the dynamics development because we want to prepare competitive resources," said Latasha Safira as Head of CIPS in a press release, 2022.

    Not only that, some people such as academics, teachers, and students are also worried about the loss of English learning if the National Education System Bill is actually passed. M. Thoha Sampurna Jaya, an academic at the University of Lampung in an interview written on Lambost.co, revealed that the revision would have a negative impact on the world of education in facing the era of globalization if English was not required or even abolished. This will also have an impact on educators and prospective educators with an English education background. This can result in a high unemployment rate from these majors because it will be difficult to absorb the world of work (Citrawan, 2022).

    The revision of the National Education System Law regarding the removal of English as a compulsory subject is certainly very impactful on various related parties. English teachers also feel the impact of eliminating this subject which results in a reduction in the number of lessons. With this policy, they will not be able to meet the minimum requirements for the teaching profession allowance. The reason is, the position of the subject matter is very influential on the preparation of the school curriculum structure and the allocation of learning hours for each subject. Of course, this will cause new problems as a result of the removal rule.

    On the other hand, learning English is studied as a provision for students to be able to adapt to this modern era of globalization. this means that if this lesson is abolished, students who are supposed to be the nation's future successors will be left behind and cannot compete globally. As a result, students have to catch up with them by taking classes outside of school which is considered to overwhelm them. The removal of English as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools will also eliminate the possibility of students graduating from English education to become teaching staff. This also threatens the profession of English lecturers at the university concerned.

    The parties who expressed their disagreement with the Revised Law regarding the removal of English lessons even formed an association consisting of lecturers, teachers, instructors, researchers, observers, and enthusiasts of English language education in Indonesia. They issued a petition entitled 'English Must Remain a Compulsory Contents of the Curriculum in Indonesia' which was released on the change.org website, and has received the support of more than 12,400 people in September 2022.

    In addition to some of the things above, there are other reasons that strengthen why English should not be eliminated in primary and secondary schools. Quoted from Kompasiana (2018), a theory called the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) states that it is easier for children to learn and master a language at an early age than someone who just started learning it in adulthood. Edward Radford (2009) quoting Chomsky that children who are learning a language will more easily observe the language behavior of the people around them and then turn it into a capital for their linguistic experience to master the language. This experience is of course in line with the learning process in the classroom that has been carried out so far. Therefore, the elimination of foreign language learning should be more considered.

    Seeing the many debates that have surfaced because of the issue of removing English as mandatory content, it is better for the government to think about this issue more deeply without taking hasty decisions. Decision-making concerning common interests should involve the public and government more deeply. Is the government aware that by limiting the opportunity to learn English for students in Indonesia and reducing their study hours, it is directly or indirectly closing the opportunity and great hope for the future successors of the nation. This will certainly affect the quality of education of citizens and their possibility to survive in the era of globalization.

    It can be concluded that English is a necessity that needs to be taught by students to give them greater opportunities in the era of globalization as it is today. The substance of English as a world language should make English still be taught and optimized in the education system in Indonesia. The spirit of nationalism is important for students, but the dynamics of development to produce resources that have global competitiveness are equally important. These overlapping policies should be given more attention so as not to harm any related parties.

    Inputs from related parties must also be considered in an effort to improve this law by opening a space for dialogue. The author hopes that the Revision of the National Education System Law can be completed in 2023 without causing further debate. Instead of removing it as a compulsory subject, English should be considered to be taught at an earlier level. This can help the development of language sensitivity and flexibility in children. Learning another language to improve yourself is important. In accordance with the motto of the language body, “Utamakan Bahasa Indonesia, Lestarikan Bahasa Daerah, dan Kuasai Bahasa Asing,” which in English means, "Prioritize Indonesian, Preserve Regional Languages, and Master Foreign Languages,".

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