Students pessimistic, worried about tough UAN<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Semarang\/Medan\/Ambon\/Kupang<\/p>\n
It was only the first day of the final examinations, but students
\nacross the country were already worried about failing to get a
\npass grade of 4.01 in all subjects following a particularly tough
\nEnglish paper.<\/p>\n
The final exams for high school students will run for a week,
\nstarting Monday. The exams in math, Bahasa Indonesia and English
\nwill be based on the national standards set by the Ministry of
\nNational Education, while the physics, biology, sociology and
\neconomics examinations have been prepared by each school.<\/p>\n
Bulan, one of 417 students from state senior high school SMA 1
\nin Semarang who are sitting in the final tests, said she had
\ntaken a private English course, but she admitted she was confused
\nby the listening part of the exam.<\/p>\n
\"There were lots of words, and they sounded the same. Only
\nthose who have really mastered the language could differentiate
\nbetween them and give the correct answers,\" she said.<\/p>\n
At state high school SMA 3, also in Semarang, 577 students
\ntaking the exams expressed their fears about whether would pass
\nand thus qualify to go on to higher education.<\/p>\n
The anxiety was also felt by 163,721 students of both state
\nand private high schools who took the exams throughout South
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
Nurhayati, a student of SMU Raksana Medan in Medan, said the
\nEnglish exam was very difficult.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not sure if I will get a pass. I will be lucky to get a
\n3.0,\" she said dejectedly.<\/p>\n
Nurhayati's fellow student Fahmi Hidayat also expressed
\npessimism, saying the English test had been so difficult that he
\ndoubted he would get anywhere near a pass.<\/p>\n
In response to the students' complaints over the difficult
\nEnglish paper, South Sumatra Education Agency director Sakhyan
\nAsmara said that those who failed to get a pass would be given a
\nsecond chance.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, in Ambon the first day of the final exams went off
\nsmoothly. Despite the recent fighting there, 151 students -- 66
\nMuslims and 85 Christians -- were seen sitting their exams
\ntogether.<\/p>\n
In Kendari, a total of 15,118 students sat the exams, while
\n1,557 did so in Biak, 54,000 in Padang, 39,547 in Aceh, and
\n34,213 in Bali.<\/p>\n
In Kupang, however, the first day of the final exams was
\nmarked by a teachers strike in five subdistricts: Wulanggitang,
\nEast Adonara, Ileboleng, Witihama and Kelubagolit. The teachers
\nlater backed down and the final exams proceeded smoothly.<\/p>\n
The results of the UAN exams will be announced on June 14,
\n2004. Those who fail will be given the chance to retake the exams
\nbetween July 8 and July 10, 2004.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-pessimistic-worried-about-tough-uan-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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