Salman Mardira, Jakarta – Education activist Henny Supolo Sitepu voiced her opposition to the reintroduction of the national exam as a graduation requirement, as proposed by the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry.
She argued that using the exam as a graduation standard would be unfair due to the significant differences in education quality across schools.
"If the exam is to be reimplemented, what is its purpose? Applying a single graduation standard now would be unjust," Henny Sitepu said in an interview with B-TV, quoted on Monday.
As the founder of Yayasan Cahaya Guru (YCG), an investment fund for teachers, Henny said that educational standards, teacher quality, resources, and funding vary widely between schools.
"How can we set a single graduation standard when the conditions are so different?" she asked.
However, Henny agreed that the national exam could be useful as a tool for mapping or assessing the quality of education between schools, enabling the government to identify areas needing better-trained teachers or improvements in facilities.
In a similar vein, education expert Darmaningtyas also rejected the national exam as a graduation standard and proposed a national evaluation system instead.
"We need a national evaluation system. My critique of the national assessment is that it is only a sampling, and given our geographic diversity, it cannot be applied comprehensively," Darmaningtyas said during a focus group discussion (FGD) titled "Securing Indonesia's Education System" at the B-Universe Office in Pantai Indah Kapuk, Tangerang, Banten.
Darmaningtyas argued that the national assessment, introduced by former Education Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim, is unsuitable for Indonesia's diverse geography. Nadiem's "Merdeka Curriculum," which eliminates mandatory national exams, was designed to simplify the education system and allow students more flexibility in learning, often through technology.
The 62-year-old expert suggested that the national assessment be improved, emphasizing that a more accurate system is needed to measure national education standards.
"We don't have to fully revert to the national exam, but the national assessment should be refined. We can still measure standards without it affecting graduation," he added.
Unlike the national exam, which is administered to final-year students in grades 6, 9, and 12, the national assessment only uses sampling and does not target final-year students.
Darmaningtyas proposed that the national evaluation system be implemented in grades 5, 8, and 11 for all students, addressing the limitations of the national assessment sampling approach.
Earlier, Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti announced that his ministry was reviewing the effectiveness of reintroducing the national exam.
"We are still studying the national exam and will soon hold discussions with researchers and policymakers," Mu'ti said during a session at the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Nov. 6.