Exams show gap among RI schools<\/p>\n
P.C. Naommy, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The results of the national high school exams show that, contrary
\nto earlier fears, most students achieved the minimum passing
\ngrade of 4.01 out of 10 points, according to the education
\nministry.<\/p>\n
The national exam results will be announced publicly on June
\n14.<\/p>\n
According to the research and development department of the
\nMinistry of National Education, the results also indicated a
\nconsistent gap in academic performance between schools of the
\neastern and western regions, with the latter faring better.
\nMeanwhile, the nationwide average of students who failed the
\nexams was only 10.22 percent.<\/p>\n
While this year's passing grade remains low, even in
\ncomparison to the 2003 minimum passing grade of 3.01, educators
\npointed out that disparities in regional conditions still
\ncontributed to the gap in students' ability to master the
\nnational curriculum.<\/p>\n
A nationwide standard was applied to the exams without
\nconsidering such discrepancies and amid protests from educators
\nand parents.<\/p>\n
\"Even though 10.22 percent can't be said to be an acceptable
\nfailure rate, we feel we are at least moving toward a more
\nreasonable figure,\" research and development secretary Herwindo
\nsaid on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Following the education ministry's decision to raise the
\npassing grade, education observers predicted that up to 25
\npercent of 2.5 million high school students would fail the exams.<\/p>\n
Research and development head Dodi Nandika expressed greater
\nconcern over the range of failure rates among individual
\nprovinces, ranging from 3.58 percent to 30.69 percent across the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Dodi said the highest failure rates were recorded in eastern
\nIndonesia and in areas with ongoing conflicts.<\/p>\n
The ministry acknowledged that the academic gap was caused by
\nthe disparity in the number of teachers, their competence and
\ninconsistent infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Head of education research at the ministry Bahrul Hayat said
\nit was difficult to recruit teachers willing to be posted in
\nremote regions and in conflict areas.<\/p>\n
At least 50 teachers assigned to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam have
\nbeen killed between 1999 and 2003, while about 170 others were
\nseriously injured or tortured and even kidnapped by the
\nseparatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), according to official
\nsources.<\/p>\n
The sharp disparity in teachers' competence was already
\nevident in the yearly recruitment process. \"While most teachers
\nfrom Java were above average, those from the eastern regions did
\nnot even reach the expected level of competence,\" Bahrul said.<\/p>\n
To overcome the problem, the education ministry has combined
\nresources with the office of the Coordinating Minister for
\nPeople's Welfare to hold a national recruitment fair.<\/p>\n
\"This would enable us to recruit teachers to provinces that
\nneed teachers proficient in particular subjects,\" said Bahrul.<\/p>\n
The ministry reported that 1,195,457 state high school and
\nIslamic high school (MA) students sat the eight-day exams that
\nbegan on May 10.<\/p>\n
Of these, 89.99 percent passed, and the remainder will be
\ngiven a chance to retake the exams from June 6 to 8.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/exams-show-gap-among-ri-schools-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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