Compare and Contrast Essay | Doni Mulia Putra 220402090019

The Similarity and Difference Between SMA and SMK in Indonesia

In Indonesia, students have to choose their next education between SMA (Sekolah
Menengah Atas) or SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan) after completing junior high school
education. SMA and SMK are the third stage of three primary educational stages after students
completing the elementary school and junior high school. There are 13.495 SMA dan 13.710
SMK spreading in all provinces (Databok. Accessed June, 2024). Furthermore, this essay will
expose the comparison and contrast between SMA and SMK in Indonesia, in which both
schools offer its own objectives and focuses but with different lesson systems.

SMA and SMK have similarity in having specific objectives and curriculums for preparing
their students in the future. SMA focuses on academic educations, the objective is to prepare
students for higher education. Students study deeply on educational subjects such as
mathematics, science, languages, social, history etc. which provide important elements for
university requirement (Artikel Pendidikan. Accessed June, 2024). Similarly, SMK also offers
specific educations and curriculum, the objective is designed to prepare students for specific
careers and profession. The subjects are the practical training and important knowledge in fields
such as engineering, culinary, pharmacy, computer, business management etc. This practical
approach prepares students for specific skills and direct experience in their chosen majors
(Global Prestasi School. Accessed June, 2024). So, both SMA and SMK arranged their students
with specific learning objectives and curriculum based on their needs for after-graduate
purposes.

While the similarity of SMA and SMK is to prepare students for their future, however, the
lesson activities are completely different. SMA spends most of the learning in the classroom,
focusing on theoretical knowledge. This academic habit is purposed for students who aim to
continue their studies at the university level, where a wide and deep understanding of the
subjects is important (AkuPintar. Accessed June, 2024). In contrast, SMK students experience a
combination of instruction and practical training. The lesson spends in a real-world activity
through practical tasks and projects. This approach means that SMK students are prepared to
enter the workplace immediately after graduation, having both skill and experience required by
employers in their fields (Gamelab.ID. Accessed June, 2024). Therefore, SMA and SMK have
their lesson activities in diverse because of the lesson objectives are applied based on need for
the higher education and the other one is to mastering the field of workplace.

To summarize, both SMA and SMK are similarly designed the objectives and curriculum
for the student’s goals in the after-graduate, for student who wants to pursue higher education
and student who prefers practical learning and aim to enter the workplace. Beside the similarity,
SMA and SMK have different lesson activities and learning target. SMA is for student who wants
to experience academic habit in a classroom and SMK is for student who wants to dive into
direct practical learning in a real-world field of workplace. Furthermore, SMA and SMK cannot
be stated as the institution that decide student’s future. Students have ability to change or
choose their purposes depend on their career path. Sometimes, the career path of the students
of SMA or SMK can be flipped in the after-graduate.

Reference
Databok. (March, 2019). Berapa Jumlah SMA dan SMK di Indonesia. Retrieved from
https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2019/06/24/berapa-jumlah-sma-dan-smk-di-indonesia

Artikel Pendidikan (June, 2024). Perbedaan SMA dan SMK: Pilihan Pendidikan untuk Masa Depan.
Retrieved from https://artikelpendidikan.id/apa-perbedaan-sma-dan-smk/

Global Prestasi School (October, 2023). 5 Perbedaan SMA dan SMK: Pilih yang Sesuai Minat dan
Bakatmu. Retrieved from https://globalprestasi.sch.id/id/news-event/perbedaan-sma-dan-smk/

Aku Pintar (February, 2020). 4 Perbedaan SMA dan SMK. Retrieved from https://akupintar.id/info-
pintar/-/blogs/4-perbedaan-sma-dan-smk

Gamelab.ID (August, 2023). Perbedaan SMK dan SMA: Mana yang Lebih Baik. Retrieved from
https://www.gamelab.id/news/2783-perbedaan-smk-dan-sma