Education is a vital instrument for every individual to achieve future goals.
It is irrefutable that graduating from a certain level of education can be an access to pursue a dream career.
Every country in the world has its own education system, which includes the level of education that an individual can take.
Let’s take a look at how the level of education in Indonesia!
Level of Education in Indonesia
Indonesia has five levels of education, including Pre-School, Elementary School, Junior High School, Senior High School, and Higher Education (University).
Pre-School
Pre-school is also known as Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini (PAUD)/Early Childhood Education (ECE). This level of education includes Kelompok Bermain (KB)/Playgroups and Taman Kanak-Kanak (TK)/Kindergartens.
Preschool is the earliest level of education in Indonesia, where children are taught reading and arithmetics, combined with playing activities. These activities are run since the students being taught are 2-6 years old.
Preschool is classified as informal education since a child does not have to graduate from this level to continue to the next level. However, the parents in Indonesia generally send their children to this level. They consider this level of education important since the child is better prepared when entering formal schooling.
Sekolah Dasar/Elementary School
Sekolah Dasar (SD) or Elementary school (SD) is the first level of formal education. The students in this level are aged 6-12 years. They study in Elementary School (SD) for 6 years to complete 6-grade levels, from grade 1 to 6.
The students in this level of education will get more diverse Subjects than in Preschool. However, the subjects taught are still basic.
Some subjects taught include Civic Education, English, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Culture, and Sports. Though there are also schools that decides to pick up Local Wisdom as additional subject.
Sekolah Menengah Pertama/Junior High School
The third level of education in Indonesia is Sekolah Menengah Pertama (SMP)/Junior High School. At this level, students spend 3 years studying. It means that they will go through one grade per year: grades 1, 2, and 3.
What makes this level different is the number of subjects taught, which is more than the previous one. Moreover, they are more complex and specific. For example, the branch of Social Sciences (IPs) subjects include History, Economy, Sociology, and Geography.
Sekolah Menengah Atas/Senior High School
Senior High School (SMA) is the next level of Junior High School. It is the last level of compulsory education (12 years) before entering college. Similar to Junior High School, the students in Senior High School should study for 3 years, consisting of 3-grade levels: 1,2 and 3.
Moreover, the students can choose one of three majors in Senior High School: Natural Sciences (IPA), Social Sciences (IPS), and Languages (Bahasa).
Equivalent to this level is Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK)/Vocational High School. It focuses on practice-based learning activities to produce students who have expertise in specific fields and are ready to work.
Read: How To Say Religious Greetings in Indonesia
Higher Education
Pendidikan Tinggi/Higher Education is the highest level of education in Indonesia. It includes universities, academies, institutes, and polytechnics.
The students at this level can choose the program for having a degree of Diploma (D1-D3), Sarjana (S1)/Bachelor, Magister (S2)/Master, and Doktor (S3)/Doctoral.
- The diploma program is based on the length of the study. For example, the Third Diploma (D3) means that an individual has studied for three years.
- The Bachelor’s program (occasionally called the Fourth Diploma-D4) is formally the 3 and half years up to the 4 years of studying at the university. The students can choose from any study program available. The degrees can be varied, such as Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts, etc.
- Master’s Program (S2) is a Graduate Program that the students are formally required to complete within 2 years.
- Doctoral Program (S3) is formally four years of studying at the university.
These are five levels of education in Indonesia. Keep reading the latest articles in EnglishQu for having the updated education information on Indonesia.
