Disabled students optimistic about going to university

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Disability does not necessarily bar high school graduates from taking the entrance test for state universities (SPMB), as shown by 29 blind students, who are among nearly 400,000 students nationwide participating in the annual test.

Abdul was among eight blind students taking the admission test at the University of Indonesia (UI) campus on Jl. Salemba in Central Jakarta on Monday.

"I will try my luck again. Last year, I failed (the test) as I didn't make adequate preparations," Abdul, who wants to be a teacher for the disabled, said.

Soesmalijah Soewondo, executive secretary of the SPMB central committee, said the blind participants were accompanied by other people should they need help in doing the test.

The official revealed that the number of high school graduates taking the university entrance test had fallen by 14 percent this year as compared with last year.

The number of applicants for state universities this year stood at 398,589, down from last year's 464,968, she said.

"The decrease has been caused partly by the fact that many applicants for shorter academic programs are not included as SPMB participants," said Soesmalijah.

The entrance test for shorter academic programs, such as the Diploma II (two-year program) and Diploma III (three-year program), Soesmalijah said, would be organized by the respective universities.

Last year, those programs were included in the admission test, she added.

Soesmalijah said 46 state universities across the country held the admission test this year, offering more than 81,000 seats.

However, she revealed that the applicants accepted at the state universities might be fewer than the places available.

"Besides, every university has its own scoring standard and many also fail to attract new students," she said, referring to the less popular schools for Russian literature and Javanese literature.

Thousands of high school graduates took the admission test on Tuesday. Many of them had to do the test at places that were not originally designated for them as they had been unable to find the specified locations.