Observers slam final exam formula<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Padang\/Kupang<\/p>\n
Education observers say it is wrong to use the National Final
\nExaminations (UAN) as a tool to calibrate the standard of
\nnational education and determine students' right to graduate.<\/p>\n
The wide disparity in the quality of education between regions
\nhas forced the Ministry of National Education to apply a
\nconversion formula to get more comparative figures for the exams'
\nresults and to determine the standard of national education in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
\"The scoring system for measuring the national quality of
\neducation should be done separately and it should not impact on
\nstudents' chances of graduating,\" education observer Arief
\nRachman said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Arief had earlier predicted the conversion formula would
\nalienate both teachers and students.<\/p>\n
He said the conversion should not cause the scores of students
\nwith good grades to fall. \"It will demotivate these students, who
\nsee their school transcripts as documents of lifetime
\nsignificance,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The controversial conversion system lowers the scores of
\nstudents who can correctly answer more than 50 percent of the
\ntest questions and raises the scores of students who answer less
\nthan 50 percent.<\/p>\n
Winarno Surakhmad, another observer, called the conversion
\ndeceptive. Students who graduated with relatively low grades
\nwould end up the with similar marks to those who graduated
\nbecause of good performances, Winarno said.<\/p>\n
\"The current conversion practice is not only deceptive, it is
\nan attempt to dupe the public and is a crime against students in
\ngeneral,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Technically the conversion formula is dubious, while
\npolitically the conversion is being used to create the notion the
\nUAN is successful and that there is nothing to worry about,\"
\nWinarno said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VI
\noverseeing education Anwar Arifin said the conversion was a tool
\nto mark up students' scores nationwide.<\/p>\n
\"The practice runs contrary to the ministry's main reason for
\ntaking central control of the UAN, which was to eradicate markups
\nby teachers and schools,\" Anwar said.<\/p>\n
However, Anwar said he believed the UAN could be used as a
\ntool to measure the standard of national education.<\/p>\n
All the observers spoken to by The Jakarta Post said the best
\nway to increase the quality of education would be to spend money
\ndeveloping the quality and competency of teachers, improving
\ninfrastructure and upgrading the management of education.<\/p>\n
Arief said the implementation of the UAN and the increase in
\nthe exam benchmark from a 3.01 to a 4.01 grade point average had
\nbeen done in a rush without allowing enough time for schools and
\nstudents to prepare.<\/p>\n
\"Every educational policy must at be announced at least two
\nyears prior to its implementation so it won't cause panic. This
\nministerial decree was issued in 2004 and the implementation was
\nimmediate. It's wrong,\" Arief said.<\/p>\n
An education observer from Nusa Cendana University in Kupang
\nin East Nusa Tenggara, A.M. Fanggidae, said an increase in exam
\nstandards should also be followed by an increase in competency.<\/p>\n
Another observer, Jasrial from the Padang State University
\n(UNP) in Padang, West Sumatra said it was not fair to set a 4.01
\ngrade as a national benchmark, as many regions had been left
\nbehind in terms of the quality of teaching staff, learning
\nmaterials and general infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Jasrial said this disparity had caused the percentage of
\nstudents who failed their exams in West Sumatra to reach 60
\npercent.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/observers-slam-final-exam-formula-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}