Education Ministry Highlights Academic Test and Computational Thinking to Boost Quality

A senior official from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has underscored the importance of strengthening computational thinking and implementing the Academic Aptitude Test (TKA) as part of efforts to enhance the quality of education.

Director General of Non-Formal and Informal Education, Gatot Suharwoto, stated that computational thinking ensures children develop logical reasoning skills. “It is called computational thinking, so the children’s logic is engaged. Why? So that we do not have a society where people are easily deceived because they are not trained to think critically,” he said in Jambi on Thursday.

According to Gatot, computational thinking is a foundational logic that students must acquire from an early age. He noted that an instant mindset and a reliance on luck without process make some members of society vulnerable to scams, including schemes that exploit emotions and dramatic narratives.

Gatot explained that some educational institutions have not been implementing adequate final evaluations, resulting in lax graduation standards. “The TKA is not absolutely mandatory, but it is very necessary when students continue their education to a higher level. At the university level, the TKA has already been incorporated as a validator of school reports,” he clarified.

Meanwhile, Jambi Governor Al Haris expressed appreciation to the ministry and other parties for supporting a programme to capitalise on educational facilities, which now reaches nearly all urban areas. He said this support has greatly assisted schools in the region with physical construction and equipment procurement.

He therefore welcomed and pledged readiness to back the national programmes implemented by the ministry to improve the quality of early childhood, primary, secondary, and upper secondary education, aiming for equitable quality education across Jambi Province. “The goal of this synergy is to ensure the implementation of minimum service standards and to improve the quality of regional human resources so that educational standards are equal across Indonesia,” he stated.