High performers to get ahead

TANGERANG: The Banten provincial education agency kicked off on Friday a program to enable clever students from poor families to enter respected schools without first having to sit tests.

"The program is only for students from state-run junior high schools who want to enter senior high school," said Herry Mulya Zein, head of the Tangerang municipality's education agency, as quoted by Antara.

Earlier, the municipality had floated the idea of free education and had also started allocating full-time scholarships for 40 students in each state-run elementary and secondary schools.

However, Salimun, 46, a parent who lives in Cipondoh Makmur, Tangerang, expressed the hope that "the no-admission-test program won't only benefit the relatives of teachers". -- JP