Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – There have been more protests over the government's decision to continue holding national examinations for elementary, junior high and senior high school students.

With concern rising over high national examination failure rates in parts of the country, hundreds of people from the North Sumatra People for Education group have aired their objection to the 2008 final examinations.

They criticized the government, especially Education Minister Bambang Soedibyo, for ignoring public concerns and continuing with plans to hold the examinations.

Head of North Sumatra Indonesian Teachers' Association, T.J. Pinem, told The Jakarta Post recently that organizing the national examination contradicted the 2003 National Education Law and the 2005 Teachers and University Instructors Law.

He said that based on the National Education Law, teachers and schools have control over students' graduation. The Teachers and University Instructors Law, he added, stated the National Education Standardization Agency was created to evaluate education units, not students.

He said the government's decision to continue holding the examinations violated those two laws. "(Holding the final national examination is) illegal because it contradicts the law," Pinem said.

He said the evaluation parameters used in the national examinations are unfair, especially for students living in rural areas. "The government does not provide good facilities to all schools, so it is not fair to set the same standards for all students across the country," Pinem said.

In order to graduate in 2006, students had to score an average of 4.51 in the three tested subjects: Bahasa Indonesia, English and mathematics. This year, they have to earn an average of 5.00 and will not be allowed to score below 4.25 on any test.

Pinem said not all teachers in rural areas taught within their area of expertise due to a lack of teachers. He said this could be seen on Nias Island in North Sumatra.

"It is hard for Nias students to compete in the national examinations with students from Jakarta or other regions that have better facilities," he said.

For that reason, Pinem said, North Sumatra teachers, which number more than 200,000, will consider boycotting the 2008 national examinations.

A member of the Regional Representatives Council from North Sumatra, Parlindungan Purba, expressed his support for the rejection. He said there were many problems with previous national examinations, such as widespread cheating.

"We hope the government pays attention to the problem because it can destroy the students' character," said Purba. He said he asked other council members to reject the government's plan to continue the exams.