The Impacts of Government Policies on Teacher Education on English Teachers in Primary Schools in Indonesia

The Impacts of Government Policies on Teacher Education on English Teachers in Primary Schools in Indonesia

Mochamad Subhan , Zein

The issuance of government regulations on policies on teacher education displays a serious effort of the Indonesian government on improving the quality of teachers in Indonesia. While the regulations have been influential in determining the content and structure of language teacher education program, it clearly signals an increasing awareness of the government on the vital roles that teachers play on the advancement of education in Indonesia (Saukah, 2009). Yet the policies leave little supports for promoting teacher education for primary school English teachers. The paper has posited that explicit policy directives are lacking especially in embedding specific concentration on English for Young Learners within the current curriculum of pre-service teacher education, the absence of teacher competencies scheme for English teachers in primary schools, and how in-service teacher training programs may reach the bulk of English teachers in primary schools. In addition, it also accentuates the needs for utilizing the expertise of prominent figures in the area of teaching English in primary schools while maintaining linkages and full cooperation with policy actors at the local level to provide consultancy on formulating and conducting professional development programs.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2012-05

921