Ministerial decree on remedial exams released<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Minister of National Education has issued a decree to
\nofficially reinstate second tests for junior and senior high
\nschool students who fail their national final examinations this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Ministerial Decree No. 037\/U\/2004 on remedial tests, signed on
\nApril 26, also indicates the education ministry's determination
\nto push ahead with national exams, regardless of mounting public
\noutcry against them.<\/p>\n
Indra Djati Sidi, the ministry's director general of
\nElementary and Secondary Education, said here on Tuesday that
\nbased on last year's results, 10 percent to 20 percent of
\nstudents would have scores lower than 4.01, and thus, fail the
\nexams.<\/p>\n
He added, however, that with the extra effort of students and
\nteachers, the figure was expected to decline.<\/p>\n
\"We will give the (failed) students a second chance to improve
\ntheir grades,\" he said, adding the government had allocated Rp 20
\nbillion (US$2.32 million) for the remedial tests.<\/p>\n
The ministry had initially scrapped second tests for this
\nyear's national exams. Previously, students with marks lower than
\n4.01 in any subject would not receive a \"passing certificate\" and
\nwould have to wait a year to retake the tests.<\/p>\n
Without the certificate, students cannot continue their
\neducation to a higher level.<\/p>\n
The education ministry has picked English, Bahasa Indonesia
\nand Maths as the subjects to be tested in the national exams,
\nwhile schools are in charge of the other subjects.<\/p>\n
Second tests for the three subjects would be held nationally
\nfrom July 15 to July 17 for junior high school students and from
\nJuly 8 to July 10 for senior high school students.<\/p>\n
Last year, 8 percent of students who took the exams failed to
\npass the minimum grade of 3.01, but the remedial tests halved the
\nfigure.<\/p>\n
There is a possibility that students of some conflict-prone
\nareas, such as Papua, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Maluku, would
\nbe exempt from the exams.<\/p>\n
\"Our team is currently observing the areas to determine
\nwhether or not students there can undergo the national exams,\"
\nsaid Bahrul Hayat, head of the ministry's Center for Education
\nAssessment.<\/p>\n
Teachers, third-year students, and concerned parents have
\njoined hands to protest the national exams, especially since try-
\nout tests indicated students were likely to achieve poor results.
\nThey have demanded the exams be canceled, claiming the evaluation
\nof students should be in the hands of teachers rather than the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
On Monday, three major factions of the House of
\nRepresentatives -- the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Golkar
\nParty and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) --
\nsaid holding the compulsory exams was not in accordance with Law
\nNo. 20\/2003 on the national education system, which was endorsed
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Indra said the ministry would provide details about the exams
\nin a hearing with House members, scheduled for either Wednesday
\nor Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The policy (on the national exams) did not come about all of
\na sudden but was based on input from the public, and education
\nexperts,\" said Indra.<\/p>\n
He added that a standard of quality was essential to push
\nstudents, teachers, and parents to put more effort into the
\neducation process.<\/p>",
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