The Ministry of National Education has finally instituted,

The Ministry of National Education has finally instituted, despite strong protests from the public, national senior high school final examinations.

I'm one of those who don't think that these national examinations are of any use as a school leaver who has sat and passed these examinations and wants to enroll in a state university will still be required to sit a matriculation examination. This means simply that the national senior high school final examinations are only good for obtaining a senior high school diploma.

If the national senior high school final examinations are really intended to show the quality of school leavers, then a state university need only set standard grades and no longer require a senior high school graduate to sit a matriculation examination. The school of medicine, for example, would accept only school leavers from the natural sciences stream with a grade point average of eight, while the school of social and political sciences would accept only those from the social sciences stream with a grade point average of 7.9. Those who fail to meet these requirements could apply for places in private universities.

Only in this way would the national senior high school final examinations actually be worth anything, with students being encouraged to study hard so as to get good grades.

WIEKE DWIHARTI

Jakarta