Computerized school registration in a mess

Computerized school registration in a mess

JAKARTA (JP): Parents and students have been flooding the
Ministry of Education and Culture's city office over the past few
days with complaints of students not being placed at selected
schools.

They questioned the results of computerized student placements
at state-run elementary, junior and senior high schools.

Two hundred and fifty-seven parents and students went to the
ministry's posts on Tuesday for new placements at schools, the
Suara Pembaruan afternoon daily reported yesterday.

The posts were opened Monday in all five mayoralties in
selected schools, besides at the city office in response to
various complaints.

Students placements were announced across the city on Friday.
The students are obliged to report to their new schools by
Tuesday.

The office's spokesman, Hadis Hadinegara, said complaints
mostly covered four aspects. These were students who had received
written notices of placements at state schools but were not
registered at the schools.

The second most common complaint was that people had not
received notices but were registered with schools as new
students.

Hadis said the third most common complaint was that students
with good grades had not been accepted into state schools.

"The fourth most common grievance covered mistakes in schools
for which students registered," Hadis said.

A parent said she enrolled her child at a junior high school
in East Jakarta but received a notice saying her child had been
accepted in West Jakarta.

Suganda Wirangngapati, a committee member in charge of student
selection, said mistakes could be caused by operators, "whose
numbers are limited". Mistakes could also be caused by those who
incorrectly filled in forms, he was quoted as saying. (anr)