NATIONAL EXAM

This is a blog about educational issues especially on Indonesia. There are articles, reflections, and stories. You can contribute to this blog.

At the period of 1965-1971 the Ujian Negara (State Exam) was done for almost elementary, middle school and high school. Schools were given the authority to design and hold the final exam based on the guidelines from the central government. In 1980 Indonesia went back to the cantralized exam system. The Evaluasi Belajar Tahap Akhir Nasional (National Final Learning Evaluation), commonly shortened as Ebtanas.

In 1998 the new form of nation-wide standardized exam was called Ujian Akhir Nasional (National Final Examination), shortened as UAN.
In 2005 the similar form of test was given a new name as Ujian Nasional (National Examination), shortened as UN. UN has three subjects; math, Indonesian language, and English to students at the end of their senior year in middle school and high school, with minimum threshold 4.51 .

In 2007 the national exit examination is to evaluate the graduate's competence achievement nationwide for certain subjects in the group of science and technology. The result of the exam will be used as one of the consideration to map education and education program, filter (students) for further education, decide student graduation, and supervise and assist education units for quality improvement (Badan Standar nasional Pendidikan)

The national exam will do a lot of more damage to the secondary education life in indonesia. The only parties that benefit from it are the goverment's top policymakers who have sense of accomplishment who will get the financial benefit from the stress suffered by students.
The top policymakers (government)seem to believe that the improved test scores directly correlate with the better quality of education, thus will improve Indonesian ranking in International assesment (Research by Iwan Syahril).

Today, the national exams have been begining for the students at the end of their senior year in middle school with four subjcets; math, Indonesian language, english, and science. Students at the end of their senior year in high school finished their national exams a few days ago, with six subjects.

Perhaps, after the coming President election on July 2009, with the new top policymakers, there will be a better direction of the education policy in Indonesia, particularly the national exit examination.