Official admits national exams are inadequate

Official admits national exams are inadequate

JAKARTA (JP): The government admitted on Tuesday that the
current national final examination is inadequate in testing
students' academic ability.

The Ministry of Education's director general for primary and
secondary education, Indra Djati Sidi, admitted that the National
Examination (Ebtanas) had drawbacks and said his office is now
developing a new system to replace it.

"So, we have to change our evaluation. We will not only test
the students' cognitive abilities with the present multiple-
choice test, but also their ability at reasoning and a host of
other skills," he told The Jakarta Post by phone.

Indra said, however, that the government would not rush to
replace the national exams because it would take a long time to
develop the new one as experts will have to try out all kinds of
tests to find the most effective system.

"There is no need to rush any change because it could lead to
chaos.

"Moreover, we cannot just terminate the old system, because
like it or not, there should be a national examination to
evaluate students to screen those wishing to enter higher
education," he argued.

The country holds national exams for final-year students of
every elementary school, junior school, high school and
vocational school to test out their knowledge on several primary
subjects, such as mathematics, civics, science and Bahasa
Indonesia.

There have been many cases of exam leaks in which students
have been lured to buy exam papers. As all the questions were
multiple choice, those who cheated could easily pass the test.

The House of Representatives, in a hearing on Monday, proposed
to the government to terminate Ebtanas.

But Indra, as well as education expert J. Drost, told the Post
separately that a final test for high school students is still
needed.

Drost said that such an examination will force schools to
prepare their students well in order for them to be able to
pursue higher education.

State universities are only able to provide one seat for every
10 or more applicants.

He said that there had been a suggestion to terminate state
university entrance examinations because their fees were too
expensive for students.

"Universities should be allowed to have their own test, for
example, a color-blind test for chemistry student candidates. But
there should be a general test to say that they have met the
necessary standards to enter certain universities," he added.

Indra was confident with the plan to have the new system as
the ministry was now arranging a new curriculum based on student
competence.

"It means, if we want our students to run 100 meters, we will
teach them how to do it and test them by asking them to run 100
meters and not by asking them about the theory of how to run," he
said. (bby)