Teacher Certification To Achieve Quality Education?

dr. Fasli Jalal, Phd.




INTRODUCTION

Quality education has a forward link (forward linkage) and connection backward (backward linkage). Forward linkage of that quality education is a key condition for realizing an advanced nation's life, modern and prosperous. Developmental history and development of nations teaches us that nations that advanced, modern, prosperous and peaceful is the nations who have systems and practices of quality education. Backward linkage of that quality education depends on the presence of qualified teachers, ie teachers who are professional, prosperous and dignified.



Because of the presence of qualified teachers as a prerequisite to the existence of systems and practices, quality education, almost all nations in this world always develop policies that encourage the presence of qualified teachers. One of the policies developed by governments in many countries is the policy of direct intervention towards improving the quality and welfare guarantees and adequate teachers. Some countries are developing this policy may be called, among others, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and the United States. These countries tried to improve the quality of teachers by developing policies that directly affect the quality by performing the certification of teachers. Existing teachers must follow the test receive a certificate of competency for the teaching profession.



LAW TEACHER AND LECTURER

Indonesia in 2005 has had the Law of Teachers and Lecturers, which is the policy of direct intervention to improve the quality of teacher competence through mandatory policy of teachers qualified Tier 1 or D4, and certified professional. With this professional certification of teachers is also entitled to a professional allowance of 1 month basic salary of teachers. In addition UUGD also set a number of benefits are entitled to receive the teacher as an effort to increase the financial welfare of teachers. Policy in this UUGD in essence is to improve the quality of teacher competence in line with the improvement of their welfare.



Of course, after a long time to socialize UUGD, it is worth into question whether the certification will automatically improve the quality of teacher competence, and then will increase the quality of education? Is there any guarantee that by having the certification, teachers will be more qualified?



This question is critically important to be answered analytically. Because the evidence of certification result in relation to improvement of teacher quality varies. In the United States for teacher certification policies have not succeeded in improving the quality of teacher competence, among other things due to strong resistance from the teachers so that the implementation of the certification runs very slow. For example, within a period of ten years, starting in 1997 - 2006, the United States is targeting 100,000 for certified teachers. Compare with Indonesia in the same period yangb certify targeting 2.7 million teachers. on the contrary the same policies that have succeeded in improving the quality of teacher competence in Singapore and South Korea.



TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROFESSIONALS

Law Teachers and Lecturers is a political assessment that educators are professional workers, who are entitled to rights as well as professional liability. With that expected, educators can mengabdikan totally on his profession and reasonable living from the profession.



In UUGD determined that a person:



• Educators are required to have academic qualifications and competence of educator as learning agents.

• academic qualifications gained through higher education degree program (S1) or diploma program of four (D-IV) in accordance with his duties as a teacher for teachers and S-2 for the lecturers.

• Competency professions educators include pedagogical competence, competence personality, professional competence, and social competence.

First, pedagogical competence. Is the ability to manage student learning that includes an understanding of learners, learning design and implementation, evaluation of learning outcomes, and developing learners to actualize different potentials.



Secondly, the competence of personality. Educators who are personalities steady, stable, mature, wise, and authoritative, become role models for students, and morality.



Third, social competence. Educators is the ability to communicate and interact effectively with students, fellow educators, educational staff, parents / guardians of students, teachers and society.



Fourth, professional competence. Is the ability of educators in the mastery of an extensive and in-depth learning that enable them to guide students gain competency.



To be able to establish that an educator has met the professional standards of educators who are concerned must follow the certification test.



There are two kinds of implementation of the certification test:



• As part of professional education, for those prospective educators, and

• Stand alone for those who currently have the status of enactment UUGD educators.

Educator or teacher certification in the position to be held in the form of assessment portfolio. Portfolio assessment is the recognition of professional experience of teachers in the form of a collection of documents that describe:



• academic qualifications;

• education and training;

• teaching experience;

• planning and implementation of learning;

• assessments of superiors and supervisors;

• academic achievement;

• the work of professional development;

• participation in scientific forums;

• organizational experience in the field of education and social and

• awards that are relevant to education.

Teachers who meet the portfolio assessment passed and certified educators. Meanwhile, teachers who do not pass the portfolio assessment can:



• conduct activities to complement the portfolio in order to achieve the highest pass, or

• follow the profession of teacher education and training, which ended with an evaluation / assessment requirements as determined by the college certification providers.

Teachers who graduate education and professional training for teachers to get certified educators.



What should I do? Listening from the experience of the implementation of certification in various countries, so you will have questions. "How that could improve the quality of competency certification teacher?" And if failed, "why the certification failed to improve the quality of teachers?" Certification is a means or instrument to improve the quality of teacher competence. Certification is not a goal, but rather a means to achieve a common goal, namely the existence of qualified teachers. Failure to achieve this goal, mainly due to become certified as an end in itself.



For the nation and the Indonesian government should always be wary of this tendency, that should not be a goal of certification. Therefore, since the beginning should be emphasized especially among educators, teachers and lecturers, that the main objective is quality, while the qualification and certification is a means to achieve that quality.



QUALITY GUARANTEE

Is there any guarantee that certification will improve the quality of teacher competence? There are several things that need to be studied in depth to provide assurance that certification will improve the quality of teacher competence.



First and at the same major, certification is a means or instrument to achieve a goal, not an end in itself. As mentioned above, there needs to be awareness and understanding of all parties that the certification is a means toward quality. Sertikasi not an end in itself. Awareness and understanding this will give birth to the true activity, that whatever is done is to achieve quality. If a teacher back in college to qualify, then the learning back to get additional knowledge and skills, so getting a diploma S-1. S-1 certificates are not goals to be achieved by any means, including ways that are not true but the consequence of already learned and have gained additional knowledge and new skills. Similarly, if teachers follow the certification test, the main purpose is not to get a professional allowance, but to be able to show that such a standard of competence required in the ability of teachers. Professional allowance is a logical consequence that accompanies the ability in question. By realizing this, the teachers will not find another way to obtain a professional certificate, except to prepare themselves by learning the right to face the certification test.



Second, consistency and rigidity of the government. As a policy merentuhan with various community groups will have different challenges and demands. At least the demands and challenges will come from 3 sources. The first source is the determination of institutions entitled to carry out certification tests. Various institutions of higher education providers, particularly from the hand of Education Workforce Education Private Institutions will be given the right to sue for organizing and conducting the certification test. Likewise, will emerge from the various LPTK domestic demand, particularly in areas outside Java will demand a reason for geographic balance. This demand will affect the determination of which rely on the objectivity of the ability of a college. Toughness and consistency of the government also needed to cope with the demands and challenges for implementing the Law that emerged from among the teachers themselves. Those who have senior or their teachers are still far from the reservation will be opposed and demanded greater convenience in order to obtain certificates of the profession.



Third, firm and enforce the law. In the implementation of certification, is shown various deviations from existing rules. This deviation can not be separated from the effort the various parties, especially the teacher to get a professional certificate with a shortcut. Deviations that arise and have to watch out for is the implementation of the certification that is not true. Therefore, so there are symptoms of irregularities, the government must immediately take firm action. Like the right to revoke the certification of institutions that conduct is, or assign a person should not be an examiner certification, and others.



Fourth, the Act implemented consistently. Demands and challenges will also arise from different geographic areas that have low growth and low levels of education. If UUGD conducted the majority of educators in this area would not pass certification. The government must consequently that certification is a national standard that must be obeyed. Tolerance can be given in terms of transition time. For example, for 5 years of transition in Central Java, but for a remote area of transition 10 years. But the standards do not recognize tolerance.



The five central and local governments to provide sufficient budget, both for the implementation of the certification or for granting allowances profession.



GUIDANCE FOR POST CERTIFICATION

Guidance teachers should take place simultaneously, because the underlying principle is a teacher should be the person learning, lifelong learning is still contained in the body. As a professional teacher and has been bearing the certification of educators, teachers are obliged to continue to maintain prosionalitasnya as a teacher.



Fostering the teaching profession is continuously (continuous professional development) using existing teachers container, namely a working group of teachers (KKG) for primary and deliberations subject teachers (MGMP) for the secondary school level. Activities of teachers in KKG / MGMP not only to solve problems experienced by teachers teaching and sharing of teaching experience among teachers, but with academic contacts and developing strategies of self-reflection.



Design networks (networking) involves continuous improvement of teacher professionalism central agency, the Centre for Development and Empowerment of Teachers and Education Workers (P4TK), the Education Quality Assurance Institution (Joomla) and the Department of Education Province / Regency / Municipality and local universities.



P4TK which form the subject-based Learning Materials Development Team, in cooperation with Universities are responsible for:



• examine and develop materials for activities and MGMP KKG

• developing models of learning

• developing training modules for instructors and teachers of the core

• provide debriefing to the instructor at LPMP

• designing the pattern and mechanism of the instructors and teachers in the core activities and MGMP KKG

LPMP together with the Provincial Education Department to become instructors for teacher selection Provincial Subjects of subjects with the task:



• be a resource person and facilitator at events and MGMP KKG

• develop learning innovation to KKG and Support Groups

• ensure keterlaksanaan activities and MGMP KKG

Education Service District / Municipal Level Subject selection Instructors District / City and formed the nucleus of Teachers of subjects with the following tasks:



• motivator for teachers to be active in KKG and Support Groups

• become a facilitator on activities and MGMP KKG

• develop a learning innovation

• be a guest speaker at events and MGMP KKG

KKG and Support Groups as a forum for professional development of teachers engaged in activities that benefit the teaching profession.



CLOSING

Earnest efforts that need to be implemented to achieve a professional teacher: prosperous and competent. This is an absolute requirement to create a system and practice of quality education, where quality education is one of the main requirements to achieve prosperity and progress of a nation.



Law Teachers and Lecturers have been present as a policy to create a professional teacher. UUGD that defines the qualification and certification will determine the quality and competence of teachers. Nevertheless, the implementation of the certification will face many obstacles. In addition to cost issues, the challenges and demands will also appear. How does the government face these challenges and demands, will determine whether certification would work to improve the quality of teacher competence.



Surabaya, 28 April 2007

Paper presented at the educational seminar organized by the PPS Unair, on 28 April 2007 tanaggal in Surabaya



Fasli Jalal, Director General for Education Quality Improvement and Education Workforce (PMPTK) Ministry of National Education