Govt's plan to appoint top-grade school opposed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More concerns arose yesterday that the plan to
\nassign six schools for top students in the Jakarta area will fail
\nto address the educational system's real problems and lead to
\nschools the become playgrounds for the children of the rich and
\npowerful.<\/p>\n
Tunggul Siagian, the chairman of the Jakarta Chapter of
\nPrivately Organized Education (Majelis Pendidikan Swasta-DKI),
\ntold a hearing of City Council Commission E on education that
\nmore than one \"magnet\" school for top students would be a waste
\nof resources, since not many Jakarta-area youngsters are doing
\nwell enough to justify attending a special school.<\/p>\n
The government's plan had already drawn strong opposition from
\ncity councilors, whose charges Tunggul echoed.<\/p>\n
\"Grading a school as top should mean that all students who go
\nto the school have top grades, but in fact, it is so? Tunggul
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He argued that last year, the average mark in mathematics on
\nthe Ebtanas state examination in the city was 3.1 on a scale of
\n10. Tunggul said very few students managed a six.<\/p>\n
\"If we categorize those who get a 6 as top-grade students and
\ngather them in just one school, I am afraid there would still be
\nmany empty seats,\" Tunggul said.<\/p>\n
Tunggul was also concerned that the appointed schools would be
\nseen as elite schools for the rich and become inaccessible to the
\npoor.<\/p>\n
He speculated that the prestige associated with the designated
\nschools \"could induce some high-ranking government officials to
\ngive `references' (katabeletje) to the principals of the schools
\nto accept their children, irrespective of the children's
\nability,\" Tunggul said, adding that Indonesians are usually
\nafraid to refuse such \"references\".<\/p>\n
This will reduce the quality of those to-be-appointed schools
\nbecause entrance will not be base on ability alone, Tunggul said.<\/p>\n
\"And once a school is appointed top-grade, can it manage not
\nto turn into an elite school? Can, for instance, sons of a
\npedicab driver enter the school? \" Tunggul said.<\/p>\n
Tunggul said that in the former times, sons of pedicab drivers
\nwent to the same schools as sons of high-ranking government
\nofficials. \"Now such an occurrence is completely impossible,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Objections<\/p>\n
Although he is chairman of the Board for Privately-Organized
\nEducation, Tunggul said he has no objections if the government
\ndoes not put privately-run senior high schools, some widely
\nrecognized as top schools, into its categories.<\/p>\n
\"What for? People already know they are top schools. Their
\nranks as top schools are clearly known in the community,\" Tunggul
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The six schools, which the government plans to appoint as top-
\ngrade schools as next July, are Senior High School Number Eight
\n(SMA 8) as the top grade senior high school for the entire
\nJakarta area, SMA 68 for Central Jakarta, SMA 13 for North
\nJakarta, SMA 78 for West Jakarta, SMA 70 for South Jakarta and
\nSMA 81 for East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Last week, Tating Karnadinata, the head of the Jakarta Office
\nof the Ministry of Education and Culture, told the council's
\ncommission that his office had drawn up a list of schools to be
\nappointed as the city's best. (06)<\/p>",
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