Internet, SMS help school admissions

Leony Aurora, Jakarta

Parents can now use the Internet and short message service (SMS) via cellular phone to check their children's admission status to state high schools and vocational schools.

The advanced technology will be applied for the first time by the Jakarta Middle and High School Education Agency, spokesman Abdul Hamid told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"Previously, parents had to be present at the schools to monitor their children's status," he said. "Some even had to take leave from work."

Hamid explained that this year, parents could visit any state high school or vocational school near their homes and submit applications for five preferred schools.

"The admission forms are free of charge," he added.

The computer program runs students' academic achievement against the criteria of their preferred schools, and processes the data until it finds a match.

An online check can be made through the agency's website on www.dikmentidki.psb-online.or.id or by sending an SMS to 7890 or 5252, which is available to subscribers of all cellular operators except Pro-XL.

Up-to-date data on school enrollment quotas will be entered into the program during the official admission period from July 9 to July 12, when parents may submit five additional choices if their children have not yet been accepted by a school.

The registration period is set for July 13 through July 15, when all students must enroll at their chosen schools, and the agency will hold a final admission period from July 16 to July 17 to fill any remaining spaces.

Agency head Margani Mustar told the Post earlier that admission space at state and private high schools and vocational schools totaled 186,146, or 42 percent more than the estimated 130,431 middle school graduates.

Meanwhile, as state high schools can only accommodate 35 percent of middle school graduates this year, admission will be based on their average score in the national exams in Mathematics, English and Bahasa Indonesia.

"Students need not worry about being admitted," he said.

Five percent of the available admission space has been allocated for students from Jakarta's satellite cities of Tangerang, Depok, Bekasi and Bogor.

The agency has also compiled a list of high schools and vocational schools in Jakarta, complete with their student capacities, as well as admission procedures and requirements, which is to be published in gazette form.

"The list will be distributed to parents through schools shortly," said Hamid, but did not specify a time frame.