Math exam for vocational schools
Math exam for vocational schools
JAKARTA (JP): Education expert Marsetio Donoseputro welcome
the government's recent announcement that mathematics will be
included in the national examinations required of all vocational
students.
The former rector of the state-run Airlangga University in
Surabaya suggested that the government, the schools and the
teachers prepare for the plan. "Please also consider how the
students will react to it," he asked of the government when
contacted by The Jakarta Post yesterday.
Marsetio, a Golkar legislator on the House Commission IX for
education, also suggested that the math subjects be arranged by
degree of difficulty to not shock the students.
The program in expected to be introduced in May, limiting the
time the government has to get prepared.
"The examination should suit the learning materials the
students have accepted," said Marsetio, who once represented
Indonesia in the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural
Organization (Unesco).
Among the vocational schools established here are high schools
for tourism and for basic economics. After passing examinations
in their specific vocations -- such as electronics, food
preparation and nutrition, wood carving or painting batik -- the
vocational students have to take standard national examinations.
The examinations currently consist of only two subjects: the
Indonesian language and (state ideology) Pancasila moral
education.
Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro
announced the plan last week. The inclusion of mathematics in the
national examinations will drive vocational schools to give more
attention to the subject, he said.
"Many vocational schools neglected math because it was not on
the list of subjects which are nationally tested," he said.
Director of Middle Level Vocational Education Jorlin Pakpahan
cited vocational school students' poor mathematics ability as the
reason behind the plan.
The industrial sectors, such as tourism, support the plan
because they too need workers with good math skills, he said.
Pakpahan pointed out that there are vocational schools which
give first year students only two hours of math per week. Others
only give the subject to second or third year students.
The plan, he pointed out, should also help in the teaching of
the subject.
He said the ministry will be able to identify the quality of
mathematics teaching in vocational schools after the plan goes
into practice.
According to 1994 ministry data, there are currently 703
state-run vocational schools with 511,207 students and 2,982
private vocational schools with 960,263 students.(31)