Relevansi Kurikulum dan Ketimpangan Sumber Daya di SMK Perbatasan

Abstract

This study investigates curriculum relevance and resource inequality in vocational education at SMK Negeri 1 Entikong, a border school in West Kalimantan. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with the principal, three productive teachers, and three students; participatory observation in workshops; and document analysis of curriculum documents, school financial reports, and facility inventories. Findings indicate a critical misalignment: the school’s curriculum emphasizes only TKRO and Welding, overlooking key local economic sectors namely cross-border trade, PLBN-based tourism, and community-based palm oil agribusiness. Resource distribution is highly inequitable: TKRO benefits from extensive industry partnerships, while the Welding program operates on a minimal state budget (IDR 3 million/year for three classes), leading to substandard practical materials (2 mm plates versus the 12 mm SKKNI standard). Furthermore, the absence of a systematic tracer study impedes evidence-based curriculum evaluation and reform. To address these structural gaps, the study proposes a contextualized vocational model grounded in Border Pedagogy and Resource Dependence Theory. Practical recommendations include integrating multilingual communication (Indonesian–Malay–English), export–import simulation, border tourism hospitality, and digital agribusiness modules. This research contributes novelty through the first empirical application of Border Pedagogy in Indonesian vocational education within a PLBN context, thereby advancing place-based and decolonial curriculum design in geographically peripheral regions