What's Wrong with Our National Examination ?

Many people suggest the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia to erase this exam. What's wrong with our National Examination ?


National Examination is a final examination in Indonesian School. For Indonesian students, this thing is very scary. National Exam is more frightening than vampire, genderuwo, pocong, or other ghost in their point of view. Sometimes, there were students that committed to suicide because they couldn't pass this final exam, or trying to pass this exam with many way, like studying, praying, going to shaman, or buying the answer key. Sometimes I (for your information : I'm still a student too) think why the National Examination is so scary ?

The Positive Side of National Examination

In my opinion, there are some positive points from the National Examination :

1. From the National Exam, The Ministry of Education and Culture can evaluate the curriculum and many other aspects in education system that is used now.

Why did I say that ? With National Exam which is implemented in all regions in Indonesia, The Ministry of Education and Culture can evaluate about the implementation of the current curriculum (in this case, 2013 Curriculum and 2006 Curriculum, which is popular with KTSP or Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan). The Ministry also can find the trouble in the curriculum or the implementation or teacher's quality or other aspects  if the result of the National Exam is bad.

2. The result of National Examination can be the evidence about someone's capability to get job, if they want to get a job.

The result of the National Exam can be used by a company to select someone to be employed in the company, because the result is based from the assessment which has been done by the Ministry and the license of the National Exam has been legalized by the Ministry and school.

3. Teach student about autonomy and honesty

This last reason is the most important reason. From the National Exam, students will be taught to do the Exam by themselves, without any help and honestly.

What's Wrong ?

All of the positive points are very good to build Indonesian best generation. But, why are many people want the National Exam to be erased ? I think, there are still many problems in the National Exam, like :

1. In the execution of The National Exam, there are still many problem

The example of the problem is the delay of National Exam in 2013 in some regions in Indonesia. You can see at : Carut Marut Penyelenggaraan UN 2013 - hukumonline.com

2. The weak supervision of national exams

In some cases, the supervision while students is working on their exam is still weak. Even sometimes, the room's supervisor is caught slept in the room ! That's make students easily cooperate to do their exam or cheating in exam.

3. Many students is forced to pass the Exam

This last problem is the most dangerous problem. In school and their family, they are indoctrinated to get a good score. If they got a bad score, their parents would often angry to them and accuse them lazy to study, without realize that maybe they are lazy to study because their parents are too busy until they aren't supported well to study. Even in some school, using the answer key while doing The National Exam is legalized, even suggested by school, only to keep the good name of the school.

In school too, many teachers indoctrinated their students that they must pass the National Exam, as if National Exam is everything. That's a wrong paradigm.

So, I think, the National Exam must still be done, but the problems must be solved to make a qualified National Exam, which will create qualified Indonesian Youth Generation !