Impact of COVID-19 on Indonesian Education based on Merdeka Belajar’s Philosophy

Research Paper
Cultural Communication Practices Paper: Merdeka Belajar in Indonesia
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Cultural Communication Practices in Indonesia
Introduction
Cultural patterns are defined as norms, beliefs, and values that shape a society. The paper discusses the cultural patterns in Indonesia’s education (Aliyyah et al., 2020). Another objective of Merdaks is to eliminate the gap between the education world and the real world. This new concept is beneficial to learning new things with a positive impact on students, parents, and teachers. Furthermore, the free learning program is beneficial to expanding creativity and gaining knowledge within day-to-day life (Abidah et al., 2020). It provides an opportunity to continue when they are ready; hence, learning is possible everywhere, i.e., in the room, boarding house gardens, as they desire to think from humans. Besides discussing the benefits of independent education, some disadvantages would also be catered to. The research is based on the concept of Merdeka Belajar’s philosophy, which believes that education must be learned freely, and its focus should be on real and everyday life situations and their impact on our lives.
Impact of COVID-19 on Indonesian Education
The Coronavirus pandemic has also impacted Indonesian culture. Many events and cultural activities have been canceled or postponed, which has disrupted the social fabric of Indonesian society and created anxiety and uncertainty. The Coronavirus pandemic has forced the closure of schools and universities throughout Indonesia, impacting the educational system and creating a backlog of missed coursework. Due to this mishap, schools have been closed, and many students have been forced to stay home. It has impacted the education of many students, and many will likely have to repeat grades or drop out of school altogether. The pandemic resulted in a shortage of teachers, as many have been forced to stay home to take care of their families (Aliyyah et al., 2020). As a result, the quality of education in Indonesia is likely to decline. Furthermore, the government has been forced to spend more money on social welfare programs to support the population, which will likely have a negative impact on the country’s economy.
However, the online classes concept in Indonesia is expected to proliferate in the coming years as more people turn to online learning to continue their education or professional development. Some of Indonesia’s leading online courses provider include eLearning Indonesia, eLearning for All, and Open Learning. These providers offer a variety of online courses in different subjects and disciplines, making them ideal for students and professionals who want to continue their education or professional development without leaving home (Abidah et al., 2020). The online classes sector in Indonesia is overgrowing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing demand for online learning.
Philosophy of Merdeka Belajar
The philosophy of “Merdeka belajar” is that learning is a lifelong process that should be pursued with independence and autonomy, which is highly val...