Computerized school admission system in Jakarta passes first test
Computerized school admission system in Jakarta passes first test
Leony Aurora, Jakarta
Parents visiting senior high schools in Jakarta on Friday to
ensure placements for their children found a new computerized
admission system that is transparent and practical.
The system, applied for the first time in the capital, allows
parents to name five preferred schools for their children, who
are ranked based on academic performance. Schools will accept
students ranked higher than their actual capabilities.
"The system is more transparent now," said M. Darwin after
checking his son's position at a room on the ground floor of SMA
70 state senior high school in Bulungan, South Jakarta.
At 11 a.m., his son, Bob Sumadi, was listed 88th for one of
the 400 places available at SMA 70, his first choice.
Darwin told The Jakarta Post that it was good that he could
monitor his son's position minute by minute through the Internet.
Bob's position is bound to change as more student register during
the admission period from July 9 to July 12.
Should his rank fall to below 400, Bob's details will
automatically be submitted to his second choice of school, and so
forth.
SMA 70 principal Djumadi told reporters that parents were
supposed to receive printouts immediately after filling in and
submitting admission forms to check their children's data as well
as to obtain registration numbers.
These numbers are needed to check the students' positions
through the Jakarta Junior/High School Education Agency's website
at www.dikmentidki.psb-online.or.id. Alternately, people can send
the message "unibraw psb jkt (registration number)" to 7890 for
Telkomsel users and 5252 for those using Indosat.
"However, as the process (of data entry) takes time, we ask
parents to come back after 4 p.m. this afternoon or tomorrow
morning to get their printouts," said Djumadi. "Otherwise, they
will amass here."
Officials at each school only enter students' previous
national examination numbers and preferred schools.
"We send the data to the agency, which will log in the
grades," said a member of the admission committee, referring to
three subjects students are tested on nationwide -- English,
Bahasa Indonesia and mathematics -- used to rank the students.
This measure is conducted to avoid the use of fake school
diplomas.
However, human error in typing in numbers has posed some minor
problems.
"When my son's exam number was entered, his file could not be
processed," said one concerned father. An official answered that
it was possible that a typing error had caused the problem and
urged the father to report the case to the agency.
Agency spokesman Abdul Hamid said that up until Friday
afternoon, no complaints had been reported.
"Most people phone in to get information," he said.
Students not accepted by any of their five preferred schools
may resubmit their applications with five new options during the
admission period. Final results will be announced on July 13,
which will also be the first day of a three-day registration
period for accepted students at their respective schools.
A second admission period, with a similar procedure, will be
held from July 16 to July 17 to fill remaining spaces.