Jakarta – Conduct will soon be added to grades to determine whether an Indonesian student achieves a pass mark, press reports said yesterday.

Besides a good academic performance, the education authorities will also consider a student's conduct or ethics to decide whether a pass mark is warranted, the Kompas daily said.

The head of the Jakarta office of the National Education Ministry, Mr Alwi Nurdin, told journalists the new measure would be in force for the current school year and would apply to results of the May 22 school examinations. Under the new measure, a student who is brilliant in all subjects could still fail should the school's council of teachers decide his or her conduct or ethics were bad.

"We want schools to bear part of the responsibility regarding the quality of their graduates and that will in the future become the reference to appraise a school's quality," Mr Nurdin said.

The measure was covered by a decree from the director-general for elementary and secondary education dated April 10, Kompas quoted Mr Nurdin as saying. The criteria on good conduct and ethics would be left to the school's council of teachers, he said.

Public criticism has been mounting over lax discipline in schools as increasingly violent mass street brawls involving students of different schools have been on the rise in the capital and other majpr cities during the past few years.

Indonesia has embarked on a gradual overhaul of its education system. Sweeping reforms to reduce academic burdens and to develop more rounded students are planned. The current curriculum, consisting of 10 compulsory subjects for elementary and advanced levels, has come under severe criticism since its implementation in 1994.

The new curriculum beginning in July will not only allow students to participate in more extracurricular activities, but will also see students doing subjects tailored to the particular demands of their local areas. The reforms are expected to be completed in five years.