More tests, more fees for sixth graders of elementary schools
More tests, more fees for sixth graders of elementary schools
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
This month may become a tiring month for sixth graders of
elementary schools as they have to take two consecutive
examinations to graduate and become eligible for junior high
school.
The city administration has recently ruled that elementary
schools graduates have to take an admission test to go on to the
next level. Previously, they only had to take a final examination
to graduate from the elementary schools and then could enroll in
the junior high of their choice.
"I have twin children and both will do their final exams next
Monday. After that, they will also have to take an admission test
for the junior high school," Juniarto, who resides in Bekasi,
West Java, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. His children are
students of state elementary school SD Harapan Jaya 09 in Bekasi.
Juniarto lambasted those two tests, saying that they were too
much of a burden for children. He also grumbled that the school
failed to inform them of the exact date and how much they would
be required to pay for the admission test.
Meanwhile, Herman Yosef, principal of state SMP 57 in Guntur,
South Jakarta, admitted that his school had yet to obtain the
guidelines for the admission test from the city administration's
education office.
"We don't know whether or not the admission test will be free
of charge as the administration's education office has yet to
inform us," Herman said, adding that the admission test could be
held on June 21.
The school, Herman said, had not yet determined the admission
fee imposed to the new students. "We will discuss it first with
students' parents," he said.
Last year, the school required every new student to pay Rp
250,000 (US$28) as an admission fee to public schools which are
funded from the state budget, Herman said.
Herman revealed that, unlike last year the students have more
options for entering junior high schools. "Last year, an
elementary school graduate could only go to junior high in the
elementary school's district. This year their choices are bigger
as they can choose schools in four districts," he said.
Unlike state schools, many private schools had finished their
admission tests.
"We completed the admission tests last month, so we have
closed the enrollment for new students," said S. Imam Suwaji, the
principal of junior high school Al Azhar 1 in South Jakarta.
Most of the new students came from Al-Azhar elementary school.
Imam said a total of 240 new students had passed the admission
test. Of the new students, 20 students would enter a special
class for an "accelerated school program", which only takes two
years instead of three years.
"But, those short-listed students are those who passed various
additional tests including intellectual and psychological tests,"
he said.
Imam said the new students must pay Rp 50,000 for the
registration fee and Rp 100,000 for psychological test. In
addition, they have to pay Rp 7.5 million for the admission fee.