Siti Alawiyah Urpah (Second-semester student, Class C, NIM 2249100102, Islamic Education Management Program, Postgraduate S2 UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung).
The quality of education significantly determines the public perception of an educational institution. Educational quality serves as capital for institutions to compete with others. Therefore, education quality must continually be developed. This development must be thoroughly understood, as it involves several essential stages. This paper aims to explain how the management of the quality assurance system is implemented by educational institutions.
First; Basic Concept of the Education Quality Assurance System. Quality is defined as the standard or benchmark of something when compared to another of the same kind. In the context of education, quality refers to inputs, processes, outputs, and impacts---in essence, input, process, output, and outcome. According to Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 28 of 2016, quality assurance is a systematic, integrated, and continuous mechanism to ensure that all education processes comply with quality standards. Quality assurance functions as a control mechanism in the implementation of educational processes by educational units to achieve quality education. Its goal is to guarantee the fulfillment of standards within educational institutions in a systemic, holistic, and sustainable manner, so that an independent educational culture may grow and develop.
Second; Policy for the Development of the Education Quality Assurance System. The development of education based on legal policies and regulations includes, among others: Article 31 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which states that the government endeavors to establish a national education system that enhances faith, piety, and noble character to educate the nation, as regulated by law. The management system for quality assurance in primary and secondary education is governed in part by Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 28 of 2016. Meanwhile, the quality assurance system for higher education is regulated by the Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Regulation No. 62 of 2016.
Third; Quality Assurance System for Primary and Secondary Education. The education quality assurance system is directed toward improving quality assurance based on the education unit level, which includes the SMPI (Internal Quality Assurance System) and SMPE (External Quality Assurance System) cycles. SMPI stages include: quality mapping, preparation of quality improvement plans, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and setting new quality standards and improvement strategies. The SMPE cycle includes: facilitating quality improvement, developing quality standards for primary and secondary education, and accrediting educational institutions. The responsible parties include: a. The Central Government through the Ministry in charge of education and culture; b. Local Governments (Provincial and Regency/Municipal Governments); and c. Educational institutions.
Fourth; Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI) for Higher Education. According to Article 51 of the Higher Education Law, quality higher education is defined as education that produces graduates who can actively develop their potential and generate useful knowledge and/or technology for society, the nation, and the state. Quality assurance in higher education is a process of determining, fulfilling, controlling, and developing quality management standards for higher education consistently and continuously, in order to ensure stakeholder satisfaction. The aim of quality assurance in higher education is to maintain and improve quality on an ongoing basis.
Education quality assurance is a systematic and continuous mechanism to ensure that all educational processes meet established standards. The development of quality assurance policies is based on the 1945 Constitution and ministerial regulations at all education levels: primary, secondary, and higher education. The quality assurance system for primary and secondary education includes the SMPI and SMPE cycles, involving the central government, local governments, and educational institutions. In higher education, the Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI) aims to sustainably maintain and improve quality to produce competent graduates and satisfy stakeholders.
This essay is adapted from the Teaching Module of the Educational Supervision and Evaluation course, Part 14, taught by Prof. Dr. H. A. Rusdiana, MM., pages 235--248.
Teaching material link:
0014-HO Part XIV Sistem Penjaminan Mutu Pendidikan.pdf
