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)