Disabled students optimistic about going to university

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.