Press Release
Tuesday, 30 July 2024
Malang City Becomes More Inclusive with Differentiated Learning Innovation
Malang City – Developing innovations to realize optimal and inclusive public services is currently a must. This time, the Malang City Education and Culture Office (Disdikbud) through SMP Negeri 2 Malang City developed a learning breakthrough for students with special needs by carrying the name Sinau Mandiri Bersama Anak Satwimaba Istimewa (SIMBA ASIA). A similar thing was also done by SMP Negeri 13 Malang City which gave special attention to special students by developing a learning method entitled Pelayanan Siswa Istimewa Galas Berwirausaha (NASI TIGA BERAS).
These two learning innovations are the answer to the need for differentiated learning for special students. The implementation of both methods is based on the national curriculum, namely Merdeka Belajar, which is expected to serve special children so that they can grow optimally. It can be said that SIMBA ASIA and NASI TIGA BERAS with the spirit of inclusive education are an implementation of Merdeka Belajar which was born to create quality learning that is adjusted to the needs and conditions of students.
The principal of SMPN 2 Malang City, Riatiningsih, S.Pd, MM, said that the SIMBA ASIA innovation has been implemented since 2023. She said that after conducting an assessment of students, the results identified 17 special children who needed special assistance. These special students have different needs because they are diagnosed with mental retardation, slow learners, specific learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, and underachievers. As a result, these students experience academic and mental obstacles so that they cannot be independent and do not yet have life skills.
The SIMBA ASIA innovation is here to facilitate and optimize the potential of special students through differentiated and meaningful learning to become independent individuals. Ria explained that in the SIMBA ASIA innovation there are two approaches used, namely providing independence and having Student Friends. In providing independence, students are given training to do activities that for normal people are simple things but difficult for those with special needs such as attaching buttons, simple sewing, frying eggs, and even ironing. "So we train them in simple things so that they can be more independent, yes, activities that we do every day," she said bluntly.
Through SIMBA ASIA, SMPN 2 Malang City also involves other students to empathize with their friends with special needs by becoming Student Friends. They are recruited without being told who their special friends are. “These Student Friends provide peer assistance to help facilitate adaptation and social skills. They accompany their friends who are usually isolated, shy, or often bullied. Because special children are usually like that,” Ria explained further.
Ria said that in general there is no difference in the learning materials given to inclusive and regular students. However, educators are ready to provide learning differentiation. In SIMBA ASIA, the 4P principle is applied (Adjustment, Simplification, Elimination, and Replacement). "The learning objectives given are the same, but the delivery method is different, we also differentiate the assessments, and of course we provide more assistance," she continued.
In its implementation, initially the school experienced obstacles, especially in providing understanding to the parents of students, because some did not accept their children as special. The school also continued to provide understanding so that now support continues to flow from parents for the implementation of the program. As a result, after the implementation of SIMBA ASIA at SMPN 2, 82% of special students were able to achieve an average academic score of >80, whereas previously only 20% of students achieved this criterion. In addition, previously only 15% of teachers were able to implement differentiated learning, now it has increased drastically to 73%.
Meanwhile, regarding the innovation of NASI TIGA BERAS, the Deputy Principal for Curriculum & Guidance and Counseling Teacher of SMPN 13 Malang City, Sinthian Susan, MP, revealed that this idea had emerged since 2022. NASI TIGA BERAS is an innovation in contextual learning and entrepreneurship for special students. Not only does it provide material related to entrepreneurial situations, but it also trains students to produce products. For example, the school provides skills in making salted eggs and raising broiler chickens. This is done to build the confidence of inclusive students that they also have the opportunity to develop their potential.
“Whatever the circumstances, they definitely have potential in their fields. They deserve education without distinction. Armed with non-cognitive diagnostic assessments in the form of psychological tests and identification of talents and interests of inclusive students, we created the NASI TIGA BERAS service program which aims to explore the potential entrepreneurial abilities of inclusive students. The hope is that their special qualities will not be an obstacle to being more innovative and more confident, especially in entrepreneurship,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Malang City Education and Culture Office, Suwarjana, SE, MM, said that it is undeniable that currently there are many special students studying in regular schools. His party is also committed to continuing to provide services to all students without distinguishing their conditions amidst the limited number of special assistant teachers (GPK). Therefore, creativity is needed from the school and teachers so that special students can also be served in the learning process. Suwarjana said that SIMBA ASIA and NASI TIGA BERAS are actually the results of the replication of the Interesting Learning with Special Students (Jarik Ma'Siti) innovation of SMP Negeri 10 Malang City which received the Top 45 Public Service Innovations in the City Government Cluster in 2023 from the Ministry of Empowerment of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenPANRB).
“(Special students) We cannot reject them, so we must still accept and teach them. Even though there is no GPK, because most GPK have a background not in Education, but in Psychology. So we still serve children with special needs without a GPK, and thank God, our fellow teachers in Malang City have done an extraordinary job. They can also innovate by providing differentiated learning, such as Jarik Ma'Siti, SIMBA ASIA, and NASI TIGA BERAS,” he concluded in appreciation.
Full support was expressed by the Acting Mayor of Malang Dr. Ir. Wahyu Hidayat, MM for the various innovations developed by schools in facilitating special students to be able to receive proper and equal education. "I hope this innovation can also be developed and get appreciation. Not only that, I also hope that these special students will get services and have the same level of education as regular students. This also supports the realization of the Golden Indonesia 2045," he hoped.
It is also a matter of pride because the SIMBA ASIA and NASI TIGA BERAS Innovations have also led the Malang City Government to receive appreciation from the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform. Through the 2024 Public Service Innovation Sustainability and Replication Monitoring (PKRI), both are included in the 5 Best Innovations in the City Cluster Innovation Replication Group which was announced on July 29, 2024. It should also be noted that there are two other innovations that were also submitted to the PKRI and followed the presentation and interview stages, namely Enjoyable Learning with Special Students (Benang Mass) from SMPN 3 Malang City and Spenturo Friendly Inclusion (Serasi) from SMPN 20 Malang City.
Inclusive public services such as SIMBA ASIA are not the first in Malang City. It can be said that this has become a permanent business process and a form of commitment from the Malang City Government in realizing a sustainable inclusive ecosystem through various public service innovations, such as Belajar Menarik Bersama Siswa Istimewa (Jarik Ma'Siti), BREXIT (Braille Eticket and Extraordinary Access for Visual Dissabilities), library braille corner services, braille population documents, even braille inclusion services (Libra) for various permits.
Malang City Communication and Information Service
Address: Integrated Office Building A, 4th Floor
Jl. Mayjend. Sungkono Malang 65132
Telephone No.: (0341) 751550
Website: http://kominfo.malangkota.go.id
E-mail: kominfo@malangkota.go.id
