Independent body to oversee national exams for students
Independent body to oversee national exams for students
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed on Monday a government
regulation that provides a legal basis for the controversial
national final examination for students.
Minister of National Education Bambang Sudibyo said the
government would in coming days establish the National Education
Standardization Body (BSPN), which will organize and supervise
the exams.
An independent body, it will comprise 15 experts handpicked by
the minister.
"As planned, we will officially set up the BSPN this week to
organize the national exams," Bambang said after a meeting with
the House of Representatives' Commission X on education, youth,
sports, tourism, art and cultural affairs.
The national exams are scheduled to take place from May 30
through June 1, with an indefinite October date set for the
second round of tests for those who don't pass in May.
Critics and many House members from the last electoral term
opposed the government's plan to maintain the state-run national
final exams.
The 2004 law on the national education system required the
national exams to be organized by an independent body but said
the government would eventually take over the job.
During the meeting on Monday, the House approved the
disbursement of Rp 249 billion (US$26.5 million) from the
ministry's existing budget to fund the national exams, but left
the decision to endorse the ministry's demand for Rp 40 billion
to finance the BSPN operations to the House's budgetary
committee.
Bambang said the national exams were aimed at measuring and
eventually raising the standard of national education.
A ministry survey to support its national exam policy recently
found the majority of respondents in Jakarta, Yogyakarta,
Pasuruan and West Sumatra believed standardized exams were
necessary for students in junior and senior high schools,
vocational schools and schools for the mentally handicapped and
students with other disabilities.
The research applied a focus group discussion method involving
teachers, principals, directors and staff members of local
education agencies, House of Representatives members and
education campaigners from non-governmental organizations.
However, many teachers and scholars are still skeptical that
the government-sponsored national final exams will narrow the gap
in education standards between schools across the country.
Several House members also questioned the need for a second
round of exams, which Bambang said would become effective after
schools had implemented a credit system similar to that applied
at universities.
"In the long run, this will allow students to enroll in
schools and universities in the middle of the educational year,"
Bambang said.
The credit system is only being used in a few schools in
Jakarta and West Nusa Tenggara and is currently optional. (003)