An Analysis of the 1994 EFL Curriculum for Indonesian Senior High Schools

Abstract

This essay is concerned primarily with the 1994 EFL Curriculum for Public Senior High Schools in Indonesia. It sets out to analyse the materials and teaching programs and to find out some possible constraints that may be faced in its implementation throughout Indonesia. The analysis is based on an assumption that for a country like Indonesia, where cultural and social economic diversity is very obvious, the curriculum for EFL must be flexible so that it can be adapted or modified according to local situations and conditions. On the other hand, teaching materials in the 1994 EFL curriculum are provided in a teacher-proof list containing a set of themes that must be taught to students regardless of where they live. Besides the analysis, this article also takes a brief look at the history of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia, as well as a discussion of the l 994 EFL Curriculum for Public Senior High Schools in Indonesia, which covers the rationale, the materials, and the teaching programs. The analysis of the materials and the teaching programs is preceded by a brief summary of the Indonesian educational diversity. Some possible constraints on the implementation of the 1994 Curriculum and some alternatives to solve the problems are also presented before the conclusion and some suggestions that might improve the quality of the 1994 Curriculum itself.