Confusion Persists in School Enrollment

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

A child peeks from a fence as he waits for his parents during new student admission at SD Manggarai 09 state elementary school, Tebet, South Jakarta, which applies the Covid-19 health protocols, Wednesday (24/6/2020). The zoning system is a hopeful path for parents who want their children to be admitted to schools near their homes. In Jakarta, subdistricts are given a 55 percent quota of the total new students. Every child can enroll in three public schools. Files such as birth certificates, family cards and absolute accountability letters are uploaded to the official PPDB Jakarta website. The school will later check the files according to the provisions. After that, the PPDB computer system ranks the child to be accepted at the school. The determinant factor is the age of the child. For elementary schools, priority is given to 7-year-old students.

The new student admission (PPDB) system is rife with complications across many regions, including admissions requirements and problems with telecommunications networks and the PPDB server.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS— The inclusion of a minimum age requirement in the new student admission (PPDB) system for Jakarta has raised worries among scores of prospective students. Because of this requirement, having good grades will not be enough on its own for students to gain admission to their preferred schools.

Zahwa, 15, from Kebon Manggis in East Jakarta, is among those who were surprised and grew worried on learning from her prospective school that the PPDB’s zone-based enrolment path included a minimum age requirement. As a result, her grade point average (GPA) of 84.32 may not be enough to secure her a place at her preferred school.

She had pinned her hopes on her high GPA, that it would be enough for her to gain admission to one of the three schools according to the zoning system: SMA 31 senior high school, SMA 54 senior high school or SMA 68 senior high school.

Read also: Ensuring Transparency in New Students Selection

“Why is there an age requirement? This is hurtful and dashes my hopes. Why did I study hard for three years if the [admissions] benchmark is just my age?” Zahwa said on Wednesday (24/6/2020).

She has no other choice but to follow the admission by zoning system. Her father’s income as an outsourced worker is not enough to get her enrolled at a private school. Her only hope is that, at 15 years and six months, she is old enough to gain admission to one of her three preferred schools.

Another student, 14-year-old Syifa, said that she was also disappointed to learn about the age requirement in the PPDB’s zoning system. Her GPA of 85.28 GPA, which she earned through hard work, will not guarantee her enrollment at SMA 47 senior high school or SMA 70 senior high school in accordance with the zoning system for Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

However, Syifa still intends to seek enrolment under the zoning system, despite her small chance of gaining admission.

“I have prepared all the required documents with my mother’s help. I have no plans to enroll at a private school, because my parents cannot afford it,” she said.

Aside from recent junior high school graduates, elementary school graduates are also worried about the age requirement of the PPDB zoning system.

Fauziah Putri Galuh, 12, a prospective junior high school student of Ciracas, East Jakarta, has been unable to gain admission to SMP 174 junior high school, SMP 188 junior high school or SMP 257 junior high school through the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) program due to the age requirement. Most students who were accepted to these schools were at least 13 years old. “I have good grades but I was not accepted, as I did not meet the age requirement,” she said.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Students take part in vocational practice amid preparations for the implementation of the new normal order at SMK Jayawisata 2 state vocational school, Jakarta, Wednesday (24/6/2020). In addition to conducting theory classes online, the tourism vocational school also limits student attendance at school for practical subjects and applies health protocols, such as hand-washing, temperature checks, use of face shields, masks, gloves and physical distancing.

Fauziah will attempt to enroll at the same schools through the zoning system. She said that she hoped to gain admission to at least one of the schools, as the zoning system had a larger quota than the KJP program.

Fitri Wulandari, 24, said that she was facing difficulties in helping her 12-year-old cousin Azrul with his admissions process. “Yesterday, the average age for [junior high school admissions] was 13 years old. [My cousin] was not accepted. We will try the zoning path and hope he’ll get in,” she said.

Poor information

The addition of the minimum age requirement to the PPDB’s zoning system has led to widespread worries among parents. Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) educational sociologist Anggi Afriansyah said that the new requirement was because of the high diversity of Indonesian schools and the widely held belief among parents that “favorite schools” were the pathway to a successful life.

At the same time, the government’s poor public communication on the age requirement had left parents uninformed.

“The government must be able to explain its rationale properly, both in the ministerial regulations and technical guidelines. Otherwise, situations like this will always arise,” Anggi said.

Responding to the controversy, Retno Listyarti of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) said that the KPAI and the Education and Culture Ministry had suggested to the Jakarta Education Agency that it not include an age requirement in the PPDB.

Retno said that an age requirement should only be used as a last resort in the admissions process. It was therefore better for the PPDB to refer to the distance between schools and the residences of prospective students.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

An officer explains the process of registering new students to parents from behind a plastic partition installed to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19 at SMK Negeri 3 vocational school, Jetis, Yogyakarta, Wednesday (24/6/2020). During the pandemic, new student admission is carried out online to prevent overcrowding. The online system also aids in creating transparency in the selection process.

Acting Inspector General of the Education Ministry Chatarina Muliana Girsang said that the ministry held daily coordinating meetings with regional education agencies. Whenever regional administrations planned to issue a new regulation through their education agencies, the ministry encouraged them to meet with the ministry to ensure regulatory harmony.

Jakarta Education Agency head Nahdiana could not be contacted as of Wednesday evening regarding the results of the meeting.

On Wednesday, the Jakarta City Council summoned the Jakarta Education Agency to discuss complaints from parents on the inclusion of the age requirement in the PPDB. Jakarta Education Agency head Nahdiana could not be contacted as of Wednesday evening regarding the results of the meeting.

Network problems

Inadequate internet connections and PPDB server problems have also been reported across regions in relation to the online admissions process.

In Papua, the online PPDB is only accessible in big cities like Jayapura and Merauke. Most schools in the customary regions of Meepago and Lapago could not access the online PPDB facility due to network issues.

The Meepago customary region comprises the regencies of Nabire, Mimika, Paniai, Dogiyai, Deiyai and Intan Jaya. Meanwhile, the Lapago customary region comprises the regencies of Jayawijaya, Yalimo, Tolikara, Puncak Jaya, Puncak, Central Mamberamo, Lanny Jaya, Yahukimo and Pegunungan Bintang.

“Schools in these two customary regions and holding offline [admissions] with strict health protocols. All teachers and prospective students are required to wear PPE,” said Christian Sohilait, the head of the Papua Education, Library and Archive Agency.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

An officer (left) gives an explanation to parents complaining about the downloading of school registration PIN at the new student admission (PPDB) post at the East Java Provincial Education Office, Surabaya, East Java, Wednesday (24/6/2020). Most complaints received pertained to the inability of students to download the PIN number due to lack of clarity about the required conditions.

In West Sumatra, the local education agency finally decided to extend senior high school admissions due to server problems. Students were still complaining on the third day of the admissions process that they were unable to register through the PPDB website. Secretary Irman of the West Sumatra online PPDB organizing committee said that the problems were caused by the overwhelming number of visitors to the site.

National coordinator Ubaid Matraji of the Indonesian Education Observers Network (JPPI) said that the national admissions system lacked integration. Education agencies were managing the process on their own, as reflected in the confusion over the PPDB. (DAN/MED/FLO/JOL)