PROS AND CONS OF THE INDEPENDENT CURRICULUM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF LIMITED FUNDING AND RESOURCES ON PRACTICAL LEARNING

Abstract

The Merdeka Curriculum is one of the educational innovations in Indonesia which aims to improve the quality of learning. One form of implementing the Merdeka curriculum in learning in Indonesia is by using project-based learning or practical learning. Through this project-based approach, it is hoped that it will be able to strengthen competencies and shape the character of students in accordance with the Pancasila student profile. This research aims to critically analyze the impact of limited funds and resources on the implementation of the Independent Curriculum at the elementary/MI level, especially in practice-based learning. The research method used in this research is qualitative research. The type of research used by the author is qualitative research with literature review. The research results show that although this curriculum has great potential to produce quality education, its implementation is able to face various challenges. Limited funds hamper the procurement of facilities, practical materials and technology, while limited human resources impact on the lack of training and teacher readiness and hamper the effectiveness of learning. The solutions offered include collaboration between schools, government, parents and external parties, with a focus on adequate budget allocation, increasing teacher training and providing supporting resources. It is hoped that this research will be able to provide an alternative solution that can overcome the impact of limited funds and resources on practical learning in the independent curriculum.