New Online Method for National Tests Plagued with Challenges

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The Indonesian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs Anies Baswedan has issued the 2015 online National Test (UN). 

The decision to make the National Test online is primarily because the National Test has for years plagued with pro and cons squabble arguing its incoherent system, the problematic central and regional areas standardized tests, the test information leakage and many other equally significant issues.

Despite the hotly argued debacle, the National Test will continue to be held throughout this year. This time it will be done online. 

However, not all schools would follow the recently established online method of performing the test. One of them is education institutions at Banten province. 

Within that area, there are only 23 schools who have applied the new online Computer Based Test (CBT) for the National Test.  

"There are 23 schools that have declared their readiness for the online test along with SMP (middle- school) 4 at South Tangerang," Banten Education Management Secretary, Tedy Rukman informed at Serang, Monday (6/5/2015).

According to him, the execution for UN online test is not an easy procedure. This is because, not all schools have the computer system and fast internet network.

 "The requirements for schools ready to be adjusted with the new online method is to have relatively fast and effective internet network, computer, generator in case of a black out and other equipment supporting the workings of the Information Technology (IT). For schools that have successfully applied the new method, the State Electricity Enterprise has facilitated them with extra power supply which include generator in case of emergency such as black out," he further informed. 

The newly- emerging method of online UN has just entered its preliminary stage, thus there are still problems met along the way when the system is applied. 

With the system still relatively brand new, there is of course room for improvement. With some of the schools unable to provide its students with the privilege of doing their test online, the government wants for the UN to be continued manually for those who don't have access to online test. 

Thus the previous procedures such as preparation and distribution of the concrete test paper has to be done just like the previous years. "As for the written test, the Ministry has finished making it, now it is only a matter of distributing it," he continued. 

The online National Test will be held on 13 through to 18 of April 2015. As for the manual National Test, it will be held on 15 April 2015. (Akp/Riz)