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DEVELOPING A PROFESSIONAL CULTURE IN THE PRESCHOOL TEACHERS: A PERSPECTIVE OF GAGASCERIA PRESCHOOL
Delila Saskia P GagasCeria Preschool, Bandung
– Indonesia delila.saskiayahoo.com
In Indonesian history, preschool are known as not formal education form. Therefore, preschool did not considered as important sector on several years ago. Nowadays after
government gives a special attention, public understanding about the importance of early childhood education ECE began to increase. The total numbers of pre-school institutions
and children who attend in pre-school education increased progressively, but the availability of human resources in this field is still limited. To meet the growing demand of preschool
services, many pre-school institutions providing teachers who do not fit both of qualification and competencies. Ministry of National Education and Culture MONEC overcomes this
issues by 1 established a national standard for qualification and competencies of early childhood educator, and 2 providing gradually teacher training and course program.
However MONEC have limited capabilities to serve a huge numbers of preschool teachers around Indonesia. The opportunity of teachers training and course program is not spread
evenly so that preschool teachers facing a lot of obstacles on finding resources and best practices required for their professional development on the field. Accordingly, MONEC 3
has given permission to all private preschool institution in Indonesia to perform regulation system on teacher professional development. Since most of recruited teachers are not from
ECE background education, GagasCeria as one of private preschool in Bandung
– Indonesia also has a strategy on teacher professional development. This presentation will bring out the
perspective of GagasCeria preschool on developing a teacher professional culture. Key words: early childhood education, Indonesian preschool, teacher professional
development, GagasCeria preschool.
1. Introduction: General overview of Indonesian Early Childhood Education sector
Early childhood education has become a national public movement in Indonesia, since Indonesian Ministry of National Education and Culture MONEC declared Indonesian
Golden Generation on the National Education Day on July 2012. It is a big plan of Indonesian to preparing the golden generation in 100th Indonesia‘s Independence Day
anniversary on 2045. In previous time Kindergarten and Elementary are in the same directorate, Kindergarten
offers the education only for children aged 4-6 years. Based on Dakar framework for action 2001, Indonesian MONEC launched the Directorate General of Early Childhood Education.
Then in 2003 the national education system was changed significantly with regarding the new regulation: 1 Early childhood education is addressed for children aged 0-6 years; 2
Developmental process of early childhood through education stimulation; 3 The aim of early childhood education is to assist the growth and developmental process of childs physical and
mental in a holistic way; 4 Developmental and educational process in early childhood is to preparing the further education Sujiono, 2012. The implementation of those new regulation
shaped a formal preschool Kindergarten, for children aged 4-6 years and non-formal preschool Child care for children aged 0-6 years and Playgroup for children aged 2-4 years.
Nowadays Indonesia has about 30 million early childhood and the gross enrollment rate of children in preschool in 2012 is 34.5 of the governments target of approximately
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75 by 2014 Latif, 2013. Indonesia Government has promoted to increase the number of preschool institution to enhance the opportunities of underserved children in preschool level.
After government gives a special attention, public understanding about the importance of early childhood education ECE began to increase. The total numbers of pre-school
institutions growing rapidly and also children who attend in pre-school education increased progressively. Unfortunately, the quality of Indonesian preschool educators gained attention
lately, the availability of human resources in this field is still limited. To meet the growing demand of preschool services, many pre-school institutions providing teachers who do not fit
both of qualification and competencies on early childhood education sector.
Ministry of National Education and Culture MONEC overcomes this issues by 1 established a national standard for qualification and competencies of early childhood
educator, and 2 providing gradually teacher training and course program 3 giving a permission to all private preschool institution in Indonesia to perform regulation system on
teacher professional development.
Even though the policy has been made by MONEC, but quality of preschool‘ teachers
are still not completely well due to the following reasons: 1 number of teachers supply from university are not meet the needed of fields demand 2 the limited number of teachers
supply from university resulting teachers with non appropriate qualification and competencies for early childhood education 3 MONEC has limited capabilities to serve training and
education for a huge numbers of preschool teachers around Indonesia. Even though the Indonesian Directorate General of Early Childhood Education has been held frequently the
formal course, seminars, workshop, conferences, subject training to improving the quality of preschool teachers, but the opportunity of teachers training and course program is not spread
evenly. In fact, preschool teachers facing a lot of obstacles on finding resources and best practices required for their professional development on the field. 4 Many preschools
institutions has limited resources to serve professional development program to improve teachers qualities 5 Teachers training generally designing slightly different of the real-
classroom context.
These conditions are challenges that must be solved in Indonesia preschool sector certainly, since in recent years the government has concerning on improvement the quality of
preschool service.
2. Teachers Profesional Development at GagasCeria Preschool
