The Overview of Primary School Education Level

By Afif Ikhwanul M

Primary school has been clearly explained as the study range from elementary school until junior high school. During this period, students develop their skill and knowledge to prepare for higher education level such as senior high school level and university level. It can be said that this level becomes the base of all upper students’ level education and the most important one. 

In primary school level, students are trained to start understand the basic of all knowledge like science, social, nationality, religion, language, art, and sport. They begin to analyze, recognize, and understand the character of each subject given by the teacher. Then, they can differentiate the different of each and get their framework for each subject.  Just like when we construct a building, if the students do not have strong basic knowledge, they will not have strong knowledge construction. One of the factors which influenced the achievement of education is the curriculum. 

Since Indonesia got its independence, the curriculum of education in Indonesia had changed for sometimes. In 1990, there was CBSA (Cara Belajar Siswa Aktif) curriculum that actually wanted to stimulate the students to be more active in learning process. Unfortunately, it was just like improving the students reading skill and the teacher still became the only actor in class by giving speech. Then, it was changed by 1994 curriculum with the development of teaching materials. After that, 1999 curriculum with the modernization of the material referred to technology. Next, it was 2002 curricula with the benchmark “Vocational skill” or a curriculum that emphasized on the development of students’ skill better than the students’ knowledge. It is because, the governments saw that many students in Indonesia understand the knowledge but they can not apply it.   Unfortunately, in 2006, new curriculum had been introduced, that is KTSP (Kurikulum Tiap Satuan Pendidikan) or curriculum of every single level of education. This time the government wanted each level of education understood what their students’ need and what they should do to improve their students’ comprehensive.    

Today, all elementary school and junior high school are applying KTSP curriculum. Since, each school has correlated the curriculum and the materials with the students needs, the students should be more interested and encouraged to learn in school. On the other hand, students must be the actors and the teacher must be the facilitators so that the life in class is appeared. Unfortunately, it does not appear.

Many students in many primary schools tend to be passive; they just receive the knowledge and information from the teacher. Every day, they go to school, come into the class, start to learn the subject and listen to the teacher explanations. After, some subjects have finished, they go home and they do same activities as what they get today.  There are some factors that make the students passive. First, some subjects have too many contents. Some students cannot learn it by themselves. So, it makes the teacher explain one by one the chapter. In sometimes, the whole time is only enough for explanation. It is different with the Japanese students in the same level of education. They just learn the main part of the subject. Then, the teacher just directs the students about the students work. Next, students do the project and to support their work they will read the material related to it themselves. Second, mostly the teachers teach in primary school do not majoring the subject. They come from different field of education with the subject they teach to the students. For example, some English teachers studied science when they were in university. This condition, makes the teacher does not know the soul of the subject, they tend not to be creative, they can be misconception, and their way of teaching just based on the text book provided. Third, the school does not follow the improvement of the science and technology. In addition, some school does not have enough money to provide excellent worksheet which able to stimulate the students to be active. Some other problems related to the school regulations and students’ life.

Based on the theory of constructivism by Freud, knowledge is developed by the students’ experience and practice until they can construct their knowledge. Bloom said that we can get 100% understanding if we Read, Write, Listen, and Act (Practice). On the other hand, students learning must involved three parts, they are cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.  So, passive means less comprehensive because it only works a part not all in learning.

Students who tend to be passive in learning will get some problems in the future. First, they will be confused by the same concept that is applied in different types of exercise because they just receive the concept without knowing what the use of it. Second, they cannot apply the concept into their daily life. For example, they have concept that water is conductor of electricity. When they change the bulb of lamp, they use wet sandals and it can danger them. Third, they cannot make link between subjects they get in each level of education. It is because they just memorize the knowledge of chapter in their brain when they are in elementary school. Then, they learn the next chapter in junior high school, seems like they meet something new without schemata in their brain. In metaphorical words, they were feed by teachers, but they did not know what the food was, they did not know the benefit to consume it, they did not know why they should eat, and they did not know how to make it. Finally, the students will get problems with teacher. Since, they are used to be passive and forget what they have learnt. Consequently, teacher may be angry because she must explain again the material that the students have actually already learnt before.

Primary school level is the turning point for the maturity of the students. At this level, all students try to find who they are. They look for their identity. So, sometimes they imitate a superhero character, they act like someone else they admire, and so on.