Jakarta, Kartunet.com - The term 'differentiated curriculum' is indeed more commonly associated with the learning patterns of gifted children within the special needs category. This differentiated curriculum is believed to be one of the best ways to help gifted children develop their talents and abilities. Thus, with a differentiated curriculum, teachers can modify learning objectives to suit the child's needs.
If this is indeed the case, it means that gifted children experience a very comfortable learning environment. They can develop their talents and abilities with balanced and appropriate academic accommodations. Now, let's shift our focus to learning programs for other children with special needs. Do other children with special needs engage in learning with a curriculum tailored to their requirements? Is the existing curriculum for children with special needs, other than gifted children, child-centered, or in other words, oriented towards the child's abilities? To date, the author concludes that the answer is no.
To this day, the curriculum for special schools still follows the regular school curriculum, even for inclusive schools. Unbeknownst to them, schools demand that children adapt to the existing curriculum. In other words, children are compelled to follow the provisions of the curriculum, syllabus, and Lesson Plan (RPP) prepared by the teachers.
If we refer back to the National Education System Law No. 20 of 2003, it states that the true purpose of education is to develop the potential of students to form independent individuals. Based on this objective, the differentiated curriculum applied to gifted children indeed fulfills its requirements. However, what about other children with special needs who certainly also possess talents and potential that can be developed.
From the above, it can be sarcastically stated that the differentiated curriculum system in special education is a non-inclusive system. Therefore, stemming from the philosophy of special education that humanizes individuals and is inclusive, education for all children with special needs must also be differentiated to achieve the educational goal of developing potential to form independent individuals.
A differentiated curriculum applied to other children with special needs can be differentiated in terms of learning objectives or achievements, materials provided, learning processes, or products/learning outcomes. Through this differentiated curriculum, the education system no longer centers on the curriculum that children must achieve, but rather on the child, allowing the curriculum to adapt to the child's needs and abilities. Thus, the objectives, materials, processes, and learning outcomes for each child in an inclusive class (if these children with special needs attend an inclusive school) can vary, according to their individual needs and abilities.
If a differentiated curriculum is implemented comprehensively, it means that inclusivity has truly permeated into more specific aspects. Not only that, but it also signifies that learning maximizes the achievement of educational goals as stipulated in Law No. 20 of 2003.(nir)