Jusuf Kalla: National Exam Removal May Harm Education Quality

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla or JK assessed the campaign promise made by vice presidential candidate number 02 Sandiaga Uno on the dismissal of the national exam (UN) was inappropriate.

According to Kalla, the national exam has still become the most essential benchmark for Indonesian students.

“If it is dissolved, it will likely be detrimental for the quality of national education,” said Kalla when met on Tuesday, March 19, at his office in Central Jakarta.

The VP explained that the main goal of the UN establishment is to help the government evaluate the country’s education regularly based on the mandate of the Law. The UN is regarded as the standardization of the national education that must be applied.

“Our education quality is still low despite the current UN implementation, how about if it is dismissed?” Kalla made a rhetorical question.

During the third election debate on Sunday, March 17, Sandiaga Uno said that if Prabowo - Sandiaga ticket elected in the upcoming election, he will replace the system of UN with the system of discovering students’ interests and talents that he deemed more effective than UN system.

However, Jusuf Kalla opposed the idea, admitting to being confused about the system implementation offered by Prabowo - Sandiaga ticket. “How can you test talents of 5 million students a year?” Kalla said.

EGI ADYATAMA