Merdeka Belajar: Review of Special School Education Management in North Sulawesi

Abstract

Creating quality human resources requires various facilities and infrastructure, such as investment in the education sector. However, collaborative governance has not achieved the desired results. The analysis shows that education management is based on several indicators, including initial conditions, facilitative leadership, institutional design, and collaborative processes. Most importantly, the collaborative process involves several parties, including the government through the Ministry of Education and Culture, and primary school leaders/school committees (principals, staff, and teachers). Only 3 out of 34 special schools in North Sulawesi use the independent curriculum, which is tailored to learners with special needs. The other 31 special schools use the Special Education curriculum. Teacher qualifications in North Sulawesi for special needs teachers are dominated by teachers with educational qualifications below D4/S1 (referring to diplomas or undergraduate degrees). Statistics on Special Schools (SLB) for the 2020/2021 academic year show an increase in classrooms every year, but only around 47.37% of classrooms are in good condition. The percentage of classroom development in North Sulawesi SLB has increased from year to year but still needs improvement. Facilities and infrastructure in North Sulawesi SLB also need attention, such as the need for separate toilets for students that are not yet adequate. The physical Special Allocation Fund (DAK) provided by the government to schools is increasing, but repairs are still needed for slightly damaged or declining classrooms.