The competency-based good citizens in Indonesia’s civic education policy

The reform movement in Indonesia following the authoritarian era has significantly influenced educational policy. It has pursued democratic reforms, including a transformation of civic education into a competency-based model aimed at cultivating democratic citizenship. This paper examines how civic education policy has fostered the development of good citizen competencies by analysing post-New Order curriculum documents, beginning with their introduction in 2004 and continuing through the implementation of the Independent Curriculum in 2022. The findings indicate that democratic principles are being progressively integrated into curricular programs to foster citizens who are both informed and responsible. Since the reform era, Indonesia’s civic education curriculum has gone through several changes. Across those curriculum periods, democratic values as the foundation of civic competence have faced persistent inconsistencies, shaped by shifting educational politics and uneven national policy implementation. This study shows that civic competency development is shaped by political forces and national ideals.