Govt's plan to classify schools attacked

JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to appoint six of Jakarta's state-owned senior high schools as top-grade schools may give an impression of exclusivity rather than help poor but able students to attend these schools, city councilors charged yesterday.

"I don't think it is necessary to announce them as top schools. It certainly will lead to exclusivity and stir up jealousy," said Ronggo Sutrisno Tahir, a member of the City Council's commission on education.

Ronggo spoke during the council's hearing with a team from the Jakarta Chapter of the Association of Teachers of the Republic of Indonesia (PGRI).

Last week, Tating Karnadinata, the head of the Jakarta Office of the Ministry of Education and Culture, told the commission that his office had drawn up a list of schools to be appointed as the city's best.

The state-run Senior High School Number Eight (SMA 8) in South Jakarta was to be the top-grade senior high school for the entire Jakarta area.

Under the school, so the plan goes, five state-run senior high school will be granted titles as "top-grade senior high schools on the mayoralty level.

The schools were SMA 68 for Central Jakarta, SMA 13 for North Jakarta, SMA 78 for West Jakarta, SMA 70 for South Jakarta, and SMA 81 for East Jakarta.

People already know that they were top schools because their students were well known for their high marks on state-run final examinations and because most of the graduates were accepted to state universities, Yunan Abdullah, an administrator for the city PGRI argued.

"Because of that, it is understandable if the government plans to announce them as top schools," Yunan said.

Attack

The councilors, however, fiercely attacked the argument.

"If people already know, why does the government need to appoint them as top grade schools? Such an appointment will only divide schools into unnecessary categories," Soegijo, the chairman of the commission, said.

Soegijo also said the plan smacked of unequal treatment by the government.

"A good government does not favor one school more than others. The government must treat all schools equally," Soegijo insisted.

Soegijo and some other councilors also attacked the claims that the six schools in question are in fact on the top level among high schools here.

"What about the privately-run senior high schools which have been widely recognized as top schools? Such an appointment will only imply the government ignores their existence," councilor Subagyo Partodiharjo said.

Sulaiman Ismaya, the general secretary of the city PGRI, said at the end of the hearing the while he was happy for the suggestions, "if the government is determined to carry out the plan, we can't do nothing but support it." (06)