Jakarta (Suara Pembaruan: 10/05/06) Debate between the Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the National Education Minister concerning the national final examination is still going on until Tuesday (9/5). Debate also occurs outside the session. Many reject the national final examination, while some regions are preparing to organize it. 

Apparently, Minister Bambang Sudibyo was aware over the concern. However, the minister sees it from a different perspective. For him, such a concern is normal.

However, the minister seems to have a different standard. What he considers ‘normal’ has become abnormal when teachers and school’ independency is limited and degraded by the national examination which the government claims being mandated by the law No 20/2003 on National Education System, on the grounds that the government needs to control the quality of national education.

In deed, teachers should be the one who have the competency to evaluate the result of students’ learning process including deciding whether a student passes or not. However, with the government-administered national examination, we wonder whether teachers still have their independency to exercise their rights?

In reality, there is a violation. Teachers are no longer the ones who determine students’ passing. All of his authorities have been taken over by the government who insists to hold the national final examination

There is a disturbing contradiction in the national education. There is a contradiction between the law no.19/2005 on National Education Standardization Agency and the Law no 20 / 2003 on National Education System. From the contradiction, there is an obvious indication of intervention to determine students’ passing. In other words, teachers’ role in students’ evaluation become meaningless.

Another interesting issue is the passing criteria. Discussion among teachers and parents revealed that the criteria have become a horrible terror. Moreover there is no make up test, which means, students who fail will have no other chance expect waiting for another year to take the national final examination test.

In such a condition, are schools, including teachers, have prepared students’ mentality, to accept the truth that they might not pass the final examination by the end of the school year? 
No teachers want their students become parts of those who fail.

All teachers want their students to success in their studies. However, they are now powerless as the government intervention is too strong in determining students’ passing. We can imagine how hard it would be for students who fail in the final examination. Disdain and mockery might be haunting them. It is only a matter of time such a ‘mental break down’ will overwhelm Indonesian in the coming years.

Finally, this will also affect teachers. Educators and schools would share criticism and condemnation. For sure, they would fell uncomfortable and finally teachers’ credibility is put at stake.

Other consequences, teachers who do not have any authorities will be forced to “machinate” students’ report card. Such a “machination” also bears its own risk; a student who, according to school, passes the final examination would fail due to failure in the national final examination.

In more firm wordings: teachers’ evaluation is overlooked by the National Examination.
In a meeting with the Commission X of the House of Representatives yesterday, National Education Minister insisted on holding the national examination. And teachers would not be able to do anything but wait for this years’ national examination.