State universities' tuition still cheapest: Minister<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
\nDjojonegoro denied yesterday that state universities' tuition
\nfees were as expensive as private universities'.<\/p>\n
\"There is no reason for people to make a fuss about the
\ntuition fees at state universities,\" the minister told a press
\nconference on this year's college entrance exams at the Salemba
\ncampus of University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Wardiman admitted that there had been annual increases in the
\ntuition fees but said they were still roughly one-fifth of the
\ncost of courses at private universities. He said the annual price
\nrise had not caused the declining number of applications for
\nplaces at state universities.<\/p>\n
The minister said the number of applications had fallen
\nbecause students were more aware of the many quality private
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
\"Many have also shown a preference for the shorter study
\nperiods offered by non-degree institutions, which have sprung up
\nin recent few years,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
The number of people sitting nationwide university entrance
\nexams dropped 7 percent this year to 348,734, from 375,452 last
\nyear. They competed for 64,808 seats in 45 universities this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
The number of exam participants falls every year, this year's
\nnumber was the lowest in seven years, down 27.3 percent from
\n1991's 479,709 participants.<\/p>\n
University of Indonesia's rector, M.K. Tadjudin, who
\naccompanied the minister said competition for state university
\nplaces was still tight.<\/p>\n
One participant had to compete with six others for a seat at
\nthe University of Indonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
Competition was toughest for placements in computer science
\ncourses, he said.<\/p>\n
\"One participant has to beat 100 rivals for a seat in that
\ndiscipline,\" Tadjudin said.<\/p>\n
But the faculty of economics in social sciences was the most
\nfavorite, he said.<\/p>\n
The two-day state university entrance exams are the nation's
\nmost prestigious exams. They are designed to select outstanding
\nhigh school graduates throughout the country for entry into 45
\nstate universities across the archipelago.<\/p>\n
An employee at the Jakarta test registration center said that
\nmost participants wished to be admitted to five state
\nuniversities.<\/p>\n
They are the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, the Bandung
\nInstitute of Technology, Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University, the
\nBogor Agriculture Institute and Semarang's Diponegoro University.<\/p>\n
The minister watched students follow the first day of testing
\nyesterday at SMU 1 high school on Jalan Budi Oetomo, Central
\nJakarta. (03)<\/p>",
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