EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITY AND REDUCING DISPARITY:

PREMISSES CONCERNING THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGY TO

INDONESIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM IN 2020

By Hariyanto
Quality Assurance
National Institute of Education-Nanyang Technological University Singapore

A. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION ERA

The quality of education is hungering and expectation of all Indonesian societies as

vehicle to produce the quality human resources that can compete globally. For achieving the

condition, it needed the concrete and operational repair steps continually and continuation. The effort

to realize the certifiable education need strategy and working together of the various and get support

of the exact policy of government. It is necessary to build and give facility to the working together of

inter schools, between schools and stakeholders, and the principal and all school components that

can accelerate to achieve the certifiable education, that is: efforts to reduce the disparity of education

quality especially the ability of students; competency of teachers; infrastructures; and acceptability of

information.

System of National Education Regulation of Indonesia No. 20 year 2003 section 50 verse 3

expressed “Government and or regional government foster at least one school of all the education

level to be developed become the international standard school”. It is necessary to affirmed that to

develop the international standard school, that still hold to develop the nation value and spirit of

Indonesia, beside the developing of global progressively by introduction, recognition, and application

of values that required global era, those are religion, science, technology, economy, art, solidarity,

power, and global ethics. To support the global ethics, International Standard Schools use the global

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 1

language especially English and information communication technology (ICT). So the international

standard schools can produce the output which are able to compete in locally and globally.

In 2003, UNESCO established the project about ICT in education. The UNESCO “ICT in

Education Policy" project aims to promote appropriate policy models and strategies for the integration

of ICT into education in the Asia-Pacific region, with special emphasis on developing policies which

utilize ICT to remove barriers to participation in education and enhance the quality of education. This

project aims to: 1) enhance the awareness of decision makers of the pros and cons of using ICT in

education; 2) at the national level, strengthen the capacity of decision-makers to develop, implement

and monitor appropriate "ICT in Education" policies and plans. The situations and needs of the

various Asia-Pacific countries differ widely. These differences affect how the "ICT in Education

Policy" project is implemented in these countries.

Indonesia is the huge country in Asia-Pacific region, the government through Ministry of

National Education (MoNE) - Directory of Senior High School Building response the policy of

UNESCO by establishing the policy that “ICT is icon of school” since 2004. There are three phases

to implement the policy, that is: sending hardware and software to schools as laboratory of

multimedia (2004); 2) using ICT as tool to develop learning material and evaluation (2005); 3) using

ICT as tool of management and administration of school as Package of School Application (2006); 4)

using ICT as tool of learning resource center (LRC) by establishing the web-based learning. Each

phase was done step by step, because the budget of education does not cover all the schools level in

Indonesia. Until now, the total of schools in Indonesia are: Primary School = 172,667; Junior High

School = 43,656; Senior High School = 16,830; and Vocational High School = 7,138

(http://npsn.jardiknas.org/cont/data_statistic ). So directory of Senior High School Building evaluates

and maps the schools, especially Senior High School based on the achievement of Standard of

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 2

National Education (SNE), that is: Schools with International standard; National Standard Schools;

and Standard Schools. Schools with International standard are schools that have achieved eight

components of SNE with enriched, developed, and extended education quality that equal with

education quality of OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Develepment) and other

progressing counties (Guide of School with International Standard’s Fostering, 2008:10). National

Standard Schools are schools which almost or have achieved SNE. Standard Schools are schools

which have not achieved SNE. The number of school with International Standard are 200; National

Standard Schools are 440; and Standard Schools are 16,180. The plan of Directory of Senior High

School Building is improving the classification of school to the higher category. The plans which have

implemented are sending the hardware (PC) and laboratory of multimedia to national standard

schools; training teachers of national standard schools and international standard schools in

workshop of ICT-based development of learning and evaluation material; and establishment the

learning resource center (LRC) or web-based learning (WBL) in 64 Senior High Schools in 32

Provinces (2007).

The usage of information communication technology is not only as subject, but also as

tool of school management, teaching and learning process, and linkages of inter school; school and

other institution, or school and learning resource centre. ICT should able to change all the education

fostering system: 1) the conventional management will be changed to the modern management; 2)

the conventional teaching and learning will be changed to ICT-based learning; the conventional

network will be changed to ICT-based network. For example, the administration of some schools in

remote area are still using paper and pencil, using chalk and blackboard in teaching and learning,

but in 2020, all educational administrations and teaching and learning will use ICT and data base as

management and teaching and learning. In the other fact, some schools in remote area are using

paper and pencil in getting information or networking, but in 2020, all schools in Indonesia will use

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 3

ICT-network as establishment of linkages between the educational systems and external

environments. Finally, ICT is the most important tool to administrate all the educational

managements, teaching and learning process, and changes from the closed system to opened

system by establishing the ICT-information network. So the disparity and diversity of quality of

education in Indonesia will be reduced , and the quality of education will be increased by using ICT

as tool.

B. THE INFLUENCES OF TECHNOLOGY TO THE INDONESIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM IN 2020

Technology, especially ICT is one of six external environments that strongly influence the

educational system. By using ICT as a tool, it can change the educational system from closed system

to opened system, so educational system open to external environment through input-output

exchange. The opened educational system will get many information from external environment, so

there are four advantages, that is: 1) educational system establishes the effectively management; 2)

educational system establishes the teaching and learning; and 3) educational system establishes

linkages with inter subsystem and external environment. Based on the role of ICT in Indonesian

education system, ICT will reduce the disparity of school quality all over area of Indonesia. The

schools both in city and remote area will not be diversity in information, teaching and learning

process, and management. Finally, we hope that education will unify the many diversities of school

quality in Indonesia in 2020.

1. ICT Influences the Effectiveness of Educational Management

There are three influences of ICT to the educational management, that is: 1) formulating

the educational goals based on the demands and needs of external environment effectively; 2)

changing all educational administration to be ICT-based administration; and 3) assessing the

achievement of educational goals effectively. Formulating the goals is planning step; ICT-based

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 4

administration as organizing and actuating step; and assessing is controlling step of management

component.

Formulating the educational goals will be obtained from the demands and needs of

external environments by using ICT as tool. By browsing the increasing of the present demands and

needs of environments; societies, industries, science and technology, schools or education

institutions formulate the goals automatically. The educational system’s goals will not formulated by

formal meeting of school components; societies; and stakeholders in hall with long discussion, but

formulating the education goals just determined and formulated effectively by getting information

from internet or website. Finally, by using the ICT the determining of the educational goals will be

planned effectively . All planning of education will be achievable; measurable, and applicable.

The second influence of ICT in management is using ICT both hardware and software in

educational administration. Using hardware in administration means all the data of students, officials,

infrastructures, finance, and the planning and evaluation on education are saved, managed, and

analyzed in computer or soft copy not in paper or hard copy. Therefore, using software in

administration means the managing, analyzing, and applying of data need application program or

software. So, by using the ICT, educational administration will be organized and actuated accurately,

effectively, and efficiently.

The end step of management component is controlling. Controlling consists of supervising

and evaluating or assessing. By using ICT, the achievement of the educational goals can be

analyzed and evaluated effectively both qualitative and quantitative. All achievement of indicators of

each goal will be analyzed and evaluated. Based on the result of assessment, educational

administrators can modify the past goals or formulate the next goals to be more achievable.

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 5

2. ICT Influences the Establishment of Teaching and Learning Processes

ICT-based learning is instructional which uses ICT as tool; media, and learning resource.

Wahono (2006) said that the ICT-based learning have to fulfill three aspect, that is: aspect of

software engineering; aspect of instructional design; and aspect visual communication. Aspect of

software engineering is effective and efficiency; reliable; maintainable; usable; compatible; reusable;

accruable; and practical. Aspect of instructional design is clearness of instructional purposes;

relevancy of purposes and curriculum; coverage and depth of purposes; accuracy of instructional

strategy; interactivity; motivation; contextually; actuality; completeness and quality; suitability of

materials; ease of understanding; systematic and logic; clearness of description, simulation, and

exercises; consistency of evaluation and purposes; accuracy of evaluation; and feedback of

evaluation. The aspect of visual communication is communicative; creative; simple and attractive;

audio; visual; animation or movie; and interactive layout.

In Government Regulation No. 19/2005 section 19 verse 3 expressed that the standard of

process of SNE (Standard of National Education) is planning of teaching and learning; fostering of

teaching and learning; evaluation of teaching and learning; and supervising of teaching and learning.

So there are four influences of ICT to the establishment of teaching and learning, that is: 1) planning

the teaching and learning process; 2) fostering the teaching and learning process; 3) composing the

evaluation; and 4) supervising the teaching and learning process.

The firs step of teaching and learning is planning. Planning consists of composing syllabi

of curriculum; composing lesson plan; composing the timetables; composing the semester and

annual program; composing the leaning materials; and composing the material and analysis of

evaluation. The syllabi of curriculum can be composed by browsing the demands and needs of

stakeholders or National and International curriculum, so by using the ICT for example internet or

website, all educators or developer of curriculum can compose the syllabi effectively. The curriculum

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 6

will be applicable appropriate with the needs and demands of societies and stakeholders. Composing

the schedule of subject or timetables is the difficult and complicated job, but by using software of ICT,

the composing of them will be easier , quicker, and more accurate. Composing the lesson plan,

semester and annual program are part of the important step of teaching and learning, so by using

ICT composing it will be easier and more practical. Fostering of teaching and learning processes are

related to experience, media, and models of learning. Quality Assurance of The Fostering of School

with International Standard ( 2008: 6) states that the teaching and learning must be effective,

creative, innovative, joyful, and meaningful. All the demands of teaching and learning can be

achieved by using ICT, for example: learning material with interesting animation, games, web-based

learning or e-leaning, learning resource center (LRC); and teleconference. The role of ICT in

evaluation step is material of evaluation will be programmed by application software. The learners

can do it at anywhere and can scored automatically. The result of evaluation can be analyzed

automatically, so the educators can modify the evaluation materials easily, and by observing the

analysis of evaluation, the teaching and learning processes can be supervised automatically.

3. ICT Influences the Establishment of Linkages Among Educational System, Inter

Subsystems, and External Environment

The influence of ICT to the network of system is ICT changes the closed system into the

opened system. The opened educational system have to establish the linkages among educational

system, inter subsystems, and external environment, that is: 1) browsing the other subsystems or

external environments that have possible to be a partnership; 2) negotiating the linkages with other

subsystems or external environments to be a partnership; and 3) communicating effectively with the

other subsystems or external environments to formulate the formation of the partnership.

The first influence of ICT to establish the linkages among educational system, inter

subsystems, and external environments is browsing the other subsystems or external environments.

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Educational institution investigate the other institutions to support and work together to achieve the

goals that have formulated. Supporting and working together are called partnership, the other

institution can be as the same institution and external environments. For example; school and other

school tie the partnership as sister school; share curriculum; exchange students and teachers. The

realization of partnership of school and external environments is sharing the finance; training the

human resources; providing the infrastructures; and improving the management.

The second, after browsing the other institutions is negotiating. The realization of

negotiating is composing memorandum of understanding (MoU); it can be compose by using of ICT,

for example: e-mail; website; mailing list; and teleconference.

The end of step of establishing linkages with other subsystem and external environment

is communicating intensively. The members of linkages report the progress of partnership and

formulate the next possible working together. All communication will be intensively and effectively if

there is an effective network, that is e-mail; website; or with s new application software to create all

communication automatically.

C. CONCLUSION

Based on the description of using ICT in education above, so the influences of ICT to the

Indonesian education can be concluded as follows:

1. The influences of ICT to the educational management are: 1) formulating the educational goals

based on the demands and needs of external environment effectively; 2) changing all educational

administration to be ICT-based administration; and 3) assessing the achievement of educational

goals effectively. Formulating the goals is planning step; ICT-based administration as organizing

and actuating step; and assessing is controlling step of management component.

EDUCATION FOR UNIFYING DIVERSITIES AND REDUCING DISPARITIES 8

2. The influences of ICT to the establishment of teaching and learning are: 1) planning the teaching

and learning process; 2) fostering the teaching and learning process; 3) composing the

evaluation; and 4) supervising the teaching and learning process.

3. The influence of ICT to the network of system is ICT change the closed system to the opened

system. The opened educational system have to establish the linkages among educational

system, inter subsystems, and external environment, that is: 1) browsing the other subsystems or

external environments that have possible to be a partnership; 2) negotiating the linkages with

other subsystems or external environments to be a partnership; and 3) communicating effectively

with the other subsystems or external environments to formulate the formation of the partnership.

Finally, the influence of ICT to Indonesian education quality is: 1) ICT usage in

educational system will unify the diversities of education quality over area in Indonesia; and 2)

ICT usage in educational system will reduce the disparities of education quality of schools in

administration of town area and schools in remote area. By ICT usage, all Indonesian citizens are

going to look forward to the technology in education era, so the quality of education of Indonesia

will compete globally, and will be equal with the quality of education of OECD (Organization for

Economic Co-operation and Develepment).

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RESOURSES

Chong, Keng, Choi, “Education for Living Tomorrow: Premises for Developmental Planning”,

International Journal of educational Management, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp.10-14

Directory General of Primary and Secondary Education,Guide of School with International Standard’s

Fostering 2008, Ministry of National Education, Jakarta, 2008

Directory General of Primary and Secondary Education, Quality Assurance of the Fostering of School

with International Standard, Ministry of National Education, Jakarta, 2008

Government Regulation( Peraturan Pemerintah) No.19 year 2005, against Standard of National

Education.

Jardiknas, (Online), (http://npsn.jardiknas.org/cont/data_statistic, accessed on August 21 2008)

Regulation (Undang-Undang) No. 23 year 2003, against System of National Education

UNESCO , (Online), (http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=3430, accessed on August 21

2008).

Wahono, Romi, Satrio, Aspek Rekayasa Perangkat Lunak dalam Media

Pembelajaran,(Online),(http://www.romisatriowahono.net, accessed on October 11 2007)

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