English Curriculum in School

By: Samsul Falak *)

A. INTRODUCTION
Teaching English in Indonesia has become a public issue for quite a long time. In
1988, the government conducted a national survey on the teaching of English in
secondary schools involving teachers, parents, and students of both public and private
junior high schools (SMP) and senior high schools (SMA). Most of students stated that
they were studying English in order to continue their education and their environments
stated their children required English in order to get good jobs (CNN Indonesia, 2017).
To respond that demand, Indonesian government has tried to apply some curricula to
make our education progress. Beginning from curriculum 94, then there was KBK
(Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi) in 2004 or called School-Based Curriculum, and
beginning 2006 we have had KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan/ Curriculum
for Each Level of Education). And now, Curriculum 2013. Englis has a national
examination subject undergoes radical changes, it can be seen in Competence of
Content – Standard of Content.
B. DISCUSSION
1. Curriculum
A teacher should know the curriculum before he or she teaches his or her students,
as curriculum has been made on the basis of students’ need. According to Oxford
Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English, Curriculum is a course of study in
school, college, etc. (Hornby, 1987:211). The process of teaching learning in schools in
influenced by its environment. Schools in suburbs will be different from schools in urban
areas. Therefore, a school needs a curriculum which will give it guidance to determine
the goal of the scholl by paying attention to the environment. This is what is stated in the
regulation oof government no. 20 year 2003 article 1 verse 19, that is curriculum is a
planning set and rule about purpose, content , and lesson material also the method
which is used as a guide to conduct learning activity to achieve certain educational
goals. Furthermore, white (1998:19) explains more widely about curriculum; the
curriculum includes the goals, objectives, contents, process, resources, and means of
evaluation of all the learning experiences planned for pupils both in and out of school
and community through classroom instruction and related program.
From the explanation above, it is very clear that curriculum has a very important role
in the success of teaching learning process and the success of the outcome in a school.
Everyone around a school will be involved; not only the government but also community
around a school, pupils and teachers. Considering the importance of curriculum, I will
discuss further about the 2004, 2006 curriculum which is known as KTSP and 2013
curriculum.
2. The 2004 English Curriculum
The 2004 English Curriculum for MTs/ SMP prepares the students in order to
achieve competencies that make them able to reflect their experience and other
experiences to show their ideas. In the 2004 English Curriculum for MTs/ SMP, ther is
KBK (Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi) or CBC (Competence Based Curriculum).
Competence Based Curriculum is acurriculum design developed based on the selection
of the appropriate competence which consists of Standard Competence , Basic
Competence, Indicator, and learning materials. MTs/ SMP graduates should be able to
achieve functional level for communication. That is the same as what Well says as
quoted by Hammond (19992:9), that is perspective emphazise the use that is made of
literacy in interpersonal communication. To be literate, according to this perspective, is
to be able, as a member of that particular society, to cope with the demands of
everyday life that involve written language. The students should be able to
communicate and write in various text, that are stated for this literacy aim because the
literacy focuses on developing English teaching-learning process.
3. The 2006 English Curriculum for MTs/ SMP
The 2006 curriculum or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP) is the
operational curriculum made and done by each unit of education (KTSP; 2007:1). KTSP
is arranged based on the students’ potential development and needs for now and the
future with the consideration of the local and national interest, and the global
requirements with the spirit of the School-Based Management (Managemen Berbasis
Sekolah/MBS).
KTSP is developed and arranged based on several principals. First, it is arranged
based on the students’ potential, development, needs, and importance in their
environment. Second, it is various and integrated. Various here means that KTSP is
arranged based on the students’ characteristics, the situation of the environment, the
level and kinds of education, etc; integrated means there is a relationship between the
main and local subjects, and the development of the students’ themselves. Third, it has
to respond to the science, arts, and technology development. Then, it should be
relevant to the lives’ needs for now and for the future. The last is continuous and overall.
It means that KTSP should encompass the whole dimension of the competency aspect
of knowledge.
Moreover, the level of the education is also gradual and continual. According to
KTSP for English subject of MTs/ SMP (2007:277) “MTs” graduates should be able to
achieve functional level for communication is spoken and written forms. The curriculum
is also intended to develop skills of communication that is the skills of understanding
and/ or creating spoken and written texts which are realized in four language skills:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing, in order to be able to communicate fluently and
to make discourse in a certain level of literacy. According to the 2006 curriculum (KTSP,
2007:1), KTSP is competence based curriculum developed by unit of education based
on the standard of contents and standard competence of graduates, standard
competence, and basic competence. The objectives of KTSP of English language
teaching are as follows:
a. To develop the ability to communicate using the language, both spoken and
written. The ability to communicate includes listening, speaking, reading and
writing
b. To develop conciusness of the importance of English as one of the foreign
languages which becomes an important device for studying; and
c. To develop understanding of the relationship between language and culture; so
the students have knowledge about culture and are involved themselves in
various cultures. Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that the
objectives of the 2006 English Curriculum for MTs are preparing the students to
compete in the global society by way oof developing their communicative
 competence, spoken and written, and their understanding of the relationship
between language and culture.
Standar Isi – Standar Kompetensi
Permendiknas (Minister of National Education RRegulation) No. 22, 2006, states
about the Standar Isi for elementary and high school levels. This regulation is a basic
guide for the implementation of KTSP or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan
(Curriculum for Each Education Level). For junior high school, the teaching or learning
process is aimed at bringing the students to the functional level, so they can
communicate orally and in written to overcome the daily problems. In the functional
level, the objectives of the teaching-learning process for the students are as follows:
a. Improving their communicative competence orally and literally up to come or get
the functional level.
b. Understanding the importance of English to increase their ability in global
completion.
c. Raising their understanding for the relationship between language and culture.
In general, the standard competence of English subject at MTs or SMP is to
communicate in the language in spoken and written using various texts fluently and
accurately. The content, the target, and the material of KTSP are designed to develop
the skills of understanding and/ or creating spoken and/or written texts which are
realized in four language skills.
a. Listening: understanding various meanings (interpersonal, ideational, and
textual) in various functional spoken short and simple texts.
b. Speaking: telling various meanings (interpersonal, ideational, and textual) in
various interactional spoken short and simple texts.
c. Reading: understanding various meanings (interpersonal, ideational, and textual)
in various functional written short and simple text.
d. Writing: telling various meanings (interpersonal, ideational, and textual) in various
functional written short and simple texts.
4. Curriculum 2013
Talking about curriculum 2013, actually it is still KTSP but it is a perfection of KTSP.
Curriculum 2013 give a chance more the students to develop themselves. A teacher is
only a facilitator. He or she will manage the class and create a fun learning without
missing the essence of study. In curriculum 2013 has some changes, as follows:

a. SKL (Standard of Passing)

In curriculum 2013 SKL will be broken down to KI, KD and indicators. SKL becomes
a base of subject to create KI, KD and Indicators. In the past, SKL will be broken down
after SK, KD, and Indicators.
b. Standard of Process
The process of teaching and learning will be guided by the scientific approach.
There are five scientific approach item or we call it, 5 M. It consist of mengamati
(observing), menanya (questioning), mengumpulkan informasi (collecting information),
mengasosiasi (association) and mengkomunikasi (communication).
c. Assessment In curriculum 2013
Assessment of k-13 is not only the knowledge (cognitive) but also affective and
psychomotor . So the assessment in k-13 shows the attention of the whole aspects. Of
course, it will be more difficult for teacher but for the students, it will be fair.
C. CLOSSING
English teaching in curriculum 2013 still demands the four language skills. But
writing, Speaking, reading and listening are in genre. The are still about thirteen genres.
Each genre has four language skills. So English curriculum 2013 can be stated as
genre based curriculum because the teachers teach English based on the genres. In
the past curriculum also demanded four language skills but the genres did not show
particularly.
REFERENCES
Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional No.22 Tahun 2006 tentang Standar
Isi.Jakarta.http://www.dikmenum.go.id
Hornby, A.S. 1987. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English.London:
Oxford University.
https://student.cnnindonesia.com/edukasi/20170827231151-445-237653/sekolah-
bukan-sekadar-pencetak-pekerja/diunduh 30 Oktober 2017