Universities set criteria for students
Universities set criteria for students
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Makassar
Due to limited space, state universities will admit only high
school and vocational school graduates who passed not only
admission tests but also the recent national examination.
Usman Chatib Warsa, coordinator of the Association of State
University Rectors, said on Wednesday that the universities would
adhere to the rule requiring students to produce their school
certificates to be eligible to enroll.
He said the decision was made in response to a recent letter
from the director general of higher education, who instructed
state universities take note of students who failed the national
final exams.
Out of 1.9 million senior high and vocational school students
taking the recent national examination, 30 percent or more than
400,000 of them failed and may retake them again on Aug. 25.
Around 300,000 graduates of senior high and vocational schools
took entrance tests on Wednesday for 90,270 placements in more
than 1,720 study programs at 51 state universities nationwide.
Although placements have been increased by 10 percent from
last year's figure, the number of students taking the test
decreased by 10 percent from last year's 370,000.
Under the autonomy principle, some state universities held
admission tests earlier this year, and accepted new students who
could afford to pay the entrance and tuition fees.
Separately, Asman Budisantoso, who chairs the national
selection test committee, asked senior high and vocational
schools to rehold the final exams soon to enable students to
obtain their certificates before the admission period concludes
on Aug. 12.
Despite the agreement, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
University rector Azyumardi Azra said the university would extend
its admission period to allow students to redo the exams.
The rector of Diponegoro University in Semarang, Eko
Budiharjo, and Surabaya Institute of Technology rector Sugiono
agreed to admit students who pass the second exam for the 2006
academic year.
Most senior high and vocational school graduates who chose to
continue their studies are likely to do so at private
universities, either locally or abroad.
The selection committee will also provide financial assistance
to more than 3,200 poor but gifted students to take admission
tests, while most state universities are offering scholarships.
In Makassar, three students were arrested for cheating on the
tests when they were caught receiving test answers through
cellular phone from friends.
A total of 18,600 graduates of senior high and vocational
schools took the test to vie for around 5,400 places at
Hasanuddin University and Makassar University.