Page 139 - Jurnal Kurikulum BPK 2020

and quality of national education. The Curriculum Development Center then was instructed to
begin the process of developing the first indigenous curriculum to be used by all primary and
secondary schools of Malaysia. This curriculum needs to take into consideration the needs and
vision of the country, and to strengthen the national education quality (KPM, 1983). This
curriculum became the first national curriculum of Malaysia which was developed totally by
local experts catering for local needs. Views and suggestions from various levels of the society
making up from the academician, educationists, teacher unions, professional bodies and
individuals were collected and culminated in the New Primary School Curriculum and
subsequently the Secondary school curriculum (KBSM). KBSR was piloted through limited
implementation in 1982 and expanded to all schools in 1983. The KBSR was later rebranded
as Integrated Primary School Curriculum in the year 1993.

The Integrated Secondary School Curriculum
(Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah, KBSM, 1989)

The Cabinet Report on the Study of the National Education Policies (1979) also
suggested that lower secondary education ‘should be developed from where the primary school
curriculum ends to strengthen basic education and aspects of pre-vocational should be
introduced. (Laporan Cabinet, 1979, para 201.1, hlm 104, translated). Whereas the upper
secondary school curriculum ‘should be general education not only for those who are going to
work but also for those going to continue their studies (Laporan Kabinet, para 206.1, hlm 107,
translated). The core of KBSR and KBSM is the concept of ‘Integration’, holistic development
of the child, life-long education and equity in education for all children (PPK, 1992d; PPK,
1993) KBSM was piloted in the four programs introduced in Form 1 and Remove Class (a year
before Form 1). Beginning 1989, KBSM was implemented fully to all schools by stages starting
from Form 1.

Smart School Curriculum
(Kurikulum Sekolah Bestari, 1996)

In 1996, MOE Malaysia started the Smart School initiative as one of the seven flagship
applications of the Malaysia Multimedia Super Corridor, a Malaysian Smart School Conceptual
Blueprint was launched. The aim of the Smart School Curriculum was to ensure children are
educated with critical and creative thinking skills, inculcated with appropriate values and
language proficiency. It aspires to promote holistic learning, allowing self-paced learning
among students as well as differentiated learning through the use of technology catering for the
needs of students with different abilities. Through an appropriate mix of learning strategies
with systematic production and management of teaching and learning resources, students will
achieve an overall balanced development and will be able to integrate the knowledge, skills and
values making learning more meaningful (MOE, 1997). Assessment is aspired to be criterion
referenced and on-line assessment was being explored for formative and summative
assessment. Learning outcomes developed were based on three levels where students can learn
according to their pace. Level 1 is prerequisite to Level 2 and 3, level 3 is designed for the high
performer. The Smart School curriculum was developed and implemented in a limited number
of schools in which the curriculum was piloted. This Level-based curriculum was finally not
implemented nationwide due to other constraint, however the curriculum design focusing on
thinking was adopted in the revised KBSR and KBSM. Although the Smart School Curriculum
is no more in use, the smart school initiative is still in place today focusing on complementing
digital learning in schools and equipping schools with educational technology as an enabler for
teaching and learning.

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