Indonesia – About 60 Acehnese students who failed the national final examination protested outside the Aceh Education Office on Saturday, the first student protest in the province since the government lifted the state of civil emergency there in May.

Carrying banners that read "Education office sadistic", "Where did all the education money go?" and "Don't make us depressed", the students arrived in trucks and on bicycles.

"Many students failed the exam even though the education budget in Aceh reaches Rp 2.1 trillion (US$233.3 million)," said one protester, Fitriadi. He said this money should have helped the Acehnese students and prevented some 49 percent of them from failing the exam.

The protesters demanded the government pass all Acehnese students who took the exam. "The students are under a great deal of psychological pressure since the tsunami," Fitriadi said.

Aceh Education Office head Alamsyah Banta said his office asked the central government for special treatment for Acehnese students, but the request was rejected. "Everyone has to meet the standard passing grade of 4.26," Alamsyah said.

He asked students who failed to be patient and wait for the repeat exam in August.