Kartunet - The admission of students with disabilities in regular schools is a good first step, but true inclusion does not stop at merely opening the school gates. Often, regular schools designated as inclusive education providers accept students with disabilities due to regulatory demands, but struggle to provide appropriate services. Field practices frequently reveal facility mismatches, such as providing Chromebook laptops to visually impaired students that turn out to be incompatible with screen reader software (screen reader).
This kind of mismatch reminds us that inclusive education requires more than just acceptance; it demands what is known as "reasonable accommodation." Addressing this challenge, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Abdul Mu'ti, has launched 7 policy pillars related to reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities. The fundamental philosophy of this policy is to shift the old paradigm: it is not the child who is forced to adapt to existing services, but rather the school's services that must be adjusted so that the child can truly enjoy their right to education.
Translating Reasonable Accommodation into the Classroom: Curriculum Modification
One tangible form of fulfilling reasonable accommodation in inclusive schools is providing flexibility in the learning process, materials, evaluation, and even task completion times. Teachers and schools must adapt so that the subject matter presented aligns with the conditions and abilities of students with special needs.
Based on the Inclusive Education Implementation Guidelines, schools can apply a regular curriculum adjustment model through the following five modification strategies:
Escalation: An acceleration and expansion program, both in terms of time allocation and material mastery, typically provided to students with exceptional intellectual potential.
Duplication: Duplicating or aligning the curriculum material for students with special needs with the regular program, if the student is able to follow general standards without cognitive barriers.
Simplification: Simplifying the general curriculum to make it easier to understand, adapted to the actual needs and abilities of students with disabilities.
Substitution: Replacing certain parts of the general curriculum with other materials or activities that have roughly equivalent competency value or weight.
Omission: Completely removing certain parts of the general curriculum if the material is genuinely impossible for the student with disabilities to learn.
Addressing Four Components of Learning
The five strategies above are not applied randomly but are systematically implemented across four main components of learning. First is the modification of Objectives, where achievement indicators are adjusted based on student assessment results. Second, the modification of Content (Material), which is aligned so that facts, concepts, and procedures are more relevant to them. Third, the modification of Process, which can include extended learning time, special seating arrangements, and the use of a co-teacher or assistant teacher. Finally, the modification of Learning Evaluation, such as qualitatively differentiating minimum passing competency standards (KKM), reading questions aloud, or providing extended time during exams.
Conclusion
Quality education for all is not an empty slogan but a fundamental human right that must be actualized through genuine collaboration. By understanding and implementing curriculum modification strategies encompassing escalation, duplication, simplification, substitution, and omission, schools will no longer merely accept students with disabilities to fulfill an an obligation. The implementation of these modifications is the main key to realizing the 7 Pillars of Reasonable Accommodation in classrooms, ensuring that every child in the nation—including those with disabilities—receives a meaningful and equitable learning experience.
References:
Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (2021). Inclusive Education Implementation Guidelines.
YouTube Channel of the Indonesian Blind Union, "The Fate of Inclusive Education & Special Schools in Indonesia, (With the Director of PKPLK) Pertuni Media".