Test results to be made public

JAKARTA: A meeting of rectors of the 89 state-universities agreed on Sunday to announce the result of the national university entrance test on Saturday.

Test committee member Soesmalijah Soewondo said the announcement would be made through local newspapers and the private television station TPI.

Jakarta participants will see whether they have passed the tests in leaflets distributed at Senayan Sports Stadium.

A total of 63,000 of 375,450 candidates make it into state universities this year. Last year, 412,644 took the exams.

Soesmalijah said the rectors agreed that there is a general decline of interest in state universities in many countries. Many graduates of high schools, she pointed out, are now more interested in private universities.

Seats at the 89 state universities here are popular because of higher standards and lower tuition fees. State colleges are heavily subsidized by the government.

However, the number of private universities has increased rapidly in recent years, from 1,076 in 1993 to 1,228 this year. (31)