Fewer students have to sit repeats<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Budi (not his real name) was chatting with neighbors when the
\npostman arrived at his gate carrying a letter from SMK 32
\nvocational high school in South Jakarta, where Budi had studied
\nfood and beverage services for the past three years.<\/p>\n
\"It was around 11 in the morning when I received the letter. I
\nwas shocked when I read it: 'You did not pass the national
\nexamination,'\" he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
High schools, vocational high schools and junior high schools
\nacross the country announced the results of the national final
\nexaminations on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, about 128,941 high school and vocational high
\nschool students took their examinations earlier this month, and
\naccording to City Middle and High Education Agency head Margani
\nMustar 86.7 percent of them passed the exam.<\/p>\n
\"Only 13.3 percent of 128,941 high schools and vocational high
\nschools failed the exams, compared to 17 percent in 2004,\"
\nMargani said at City Hall.<\/p>\n
The number of high school and vocational high school students
\nwho took the examinations last year was 126,195.<\/p>\n
In 2005, students had to receive a score of at least 4.25 out
\nof 10 in Bahasa Indonesian, English and mathematics in order to
\npass the exams. A passing score in 2004 was 4.01.<\/p>\n
Margani said students who failed the exams would receive
\nadditional lessons before repeating the tests from Aug. 23 to
\nAug. 25.<\/p>\n
City Primary and Secondary Education Agency head Sylviana
\nMurni said 127,849 junior high school students took the final
\nexams this year and 3.07 percent failed. In 2004, 117,652
\nstudents took the exams and 7.8 percent failed.<\/p>\n
\"The highest score on the exam went to Diptarama, a student at
\ncity-owned SMP 252 in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, who scored a 10
\nin math, a 10 in English and a 9.8 in Bahasa Indonesian,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Although the number of students in the capital who passed the
\nexams went up, the Ministry of National Education announced on
\nWednesday that nationally the number of students who failed the
\ntests this year almost doubled.<\/p>\n
The national failure rate for junior high school students
\nsoared to 13.62 percent from 6.96 percent last year, while the
\nfailure rate for high school students doubled from 9.22 percent
\nto 20.19 percent. The percentage of vocational school students
\nfailing jumped to 16.69 percent from 9.49 percent.<\/p>\n
Budi said if he failed to pass the final exam in August, he
\nwould cancel plans to enroll at Bina Nusantara Informatika
\ncollege to study computers and information management.<\/p>\n
\"Thank God, as a food and beverages student I already have a
\ntemporary job as a chef at a Japanese restaurant. If I fail the
\nsecond national exam, I will keep the job and forget about
\nenrolling in college,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The vice principal for student affairs at SMK 32 vocational
\nhigh school, Husni, said of the school's 134 students who took
\nthe exams, 40 of them failed.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them failed in English. The number is big, but I
\nheard even more students failed at other vocational high
\nschools,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to data from the City Primary and Secondary
\nEducation Agency, 18.7 percent of the vocational high school
\nstudents who took the exams this year failed. This is higher than
\nthe number of public high school students who failed. (006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fewer-students-have-to-sit-repeats-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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