Parents face headache in getting kids into school

Parents face headache in getting kids into school

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

From Monday to Thursday of this week, the city will be filled
with frazzled parents accompanying their children as they apply
for seats at popular state high schools.

Many of these parents are concerned that their children,
recent junior high school graduates, will be unable to gain
entrance to the high schools of their choice because of the tough
competition.

"My heart has been beating faster because I am afraid my
daughter won't obtain a seat despite her good grades on her final
examination," said Lestari, whose daughter graduated from a state
junior high school in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

Lestari said her daughter hoped to enroll at state high school
81 in Cipinang Melayu, East Jakarta, which is offering 320 seats
for incoming freshmen.

Her daughter has not yet been admitted to a private high
school.

"That's why we are putting all our hope in the four-day
admission process (for the state high school)," she said.

"If my daughter's ranking is sitting at the bottom of the
chart, I'll immediately take her documents and apply to another
(state) school," she said, adding that state high school 48 in
Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, was her second choice.

Lestari is planning to take time off from work to monitor her
daughter's ranking and make sure it doesn't drop below the "safe
level" on the chart.

Many parents are as concerned as Lestari about their children
gaining entrance to their first-choice schools. This is because
of increased competition resulting from a new admissions system
implemented by the city administration this year. Under the new
system, junior high school graduates across the capital are
allowed to apply to any state high school they choose, regardless
of its location.

Previously, students could only enroll in high schools located
within their subdistrict.

Over 115,000 students graduated from junior high school this
year, and there are about 180,000 seats available in high schools
and vocational schools around the capital.

But many students prefer continuing their studies at a state
high school rather than at a private or vocational school. Given
this preference, the competition could be fierce for the just
over 30,000 seats available at state high schools for incoming
freshmen.

Nurlaila, whose daughter has already been admitted to a
private high school in South Jakarta, said her daughter would
still be applying to a state high school with its cheaper
tuition.

"She'll still apply at high school 70 in Bulungan, South
Jakarta," said Nurlaila, whose daughter graduated from a private
junior high school in Cipete, South Jakarta.

Nurlaila also worried that the massive number of students
applying for seats at popular high schools could spell trouble in
the handling of documents.

"I cannot imagine how they (the schools) will be able to
handle the mountain of documents from the applicants and be ready
to return the documents when we ask for them," she said.