Page 13 - Jurnal Kurikulum BPK 2020

“Centralization refers to the condition whereby the administrative authority for education is
vested, not in the local community, but in a central body. This central body has complete power
over all resources: money, information, people, technology” (Brennen, 2002). Desi Eri (2015),
gives further examples of the extend of a centralized curriculum which ranges from foundations
of curriculum development, structure and distribution of subjects, syllabus or outline of the
learning program, details of materials and learning activities, books, media, supporting tools,
assessment of learning outcomes along with implementation guidelines compiled by the
central. As such, centralization is the systematic and consistent reservation of authority with
decision making at the top level, the operating authority at the middle level and schools depend
solely on the top level for instructions on implementation.
Brennen (2002) claims decentralization on the other hand refers to the authority passed
down to individual schools. Site-based management is an example of decentralization in which
individual schools can make their own decisions related to finances and curriculum. However,
the locus of power remains with the central body. Advocates of decentralization believe it will
result in higher student performance; more efficient use of resources; increased skills and
satisfaction for school administrators and teacher; and greater community and business
involvement in and support for schools. Further reiterated by IBE UNESCO (1999),
decentralization is about shifts in the location of those who govern, about transfers of authority
from those in one location or level vis-à-vis education organizations, to those in another level.
The location of authority expressed in terms of the location of the position or the governing
body (for example, the district level). Four possible locations of authority are considered in this
monograph: the central government; provincial, state or regional governing bodies; municipal,
county or district governments; and schools. (p. 17) The Decentralization Thematic Team of
the World Bank (1997) also states that in general, the process of decentralization can
substantially improve efficiency, transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of service
provision promises to be more efficient, better reflect local priorities, encourage participation,
and, eventually, improve coverage and quality. “In considering educational decentralization,
three important factors need to be considered, i.e. fiscal decentralization, in order for local
governments to effectively carry out the assigned responsibilities, they should be given
adequate budget and authority for making decisions about costs. The second factor is
management decentralization; whereby fiscal decentralization will be successful when local
managers can make appropriate decisions about educational processes. The third factor is a
very important factor to be considered in decentralizing as it will, willingly or unwillingly put
a great burden on the shoulders of teachers; therefore, lots of potential capabilities should be
available. If these potentialities will be used in in-service courses for teachers, it will result in
good education” (Behrman et al, 2002).
Furthermore, due consideration needs to be made, with evidence from research and
reflection which model should be relevant for our future generations to cope in the VUCA
world. When navigating through a complex and uncertain world, as quoted by OECD in their
article “The Future of Education and Skills, Education 2030” (2018), future-ready students
need to exercise agency, in their own education and throughout life. Agency implies a sense
of responsibility to participate in the world and, in so doing, to influence people, events and
circumstances for the better. Agency requires the ability to frame a guiding purpose and
identify actions to achieve a goal. To help enable agency, educators must not only recognise
learners’ individuality, but also acknowledge the wider set of relationships – with their
teachers, peers, families and communities – that influence their learning (p. 4). As such,
learning has to be meaningful for our learners in order for them to be able to thread through
future uncertainties. As it is rightly explained in the Future of Education and Skills, Education
2030, “people should be able to think creatively, develop new products and services, new jobs,
new processes and methods, new ways of thinking and living, new enterprises, new sectors,
3