Bali students fall short in Indonesian exam

Around 70 percent of students in Bali who failed the recent national examinations had difficulties not in Mathematics or English but in a subject local students are expected to master: Indonesian.

Bali Education Agency chief Ida Bagus Anom announced the finding on Monday, adding that this had been a notable trend in Bali over recent years. Ida said part of the problem was that students were taking up foreign languages instead.

"The Indonesian [exam] had better quality questions. Apart from that, there also seems to be a bilingual euphoria phenomenon, meaning [Bali] students feel they must also excel in English," Ida said, as quoted by kompas.com.

"There are also some who think that mastering Indonesian won't promise a better future career compared to proficiency in English," he said.

No Bali students gained full marks in the Indonesian exam this year.

In terms of passing rate, meanwhile, the province of Bali achieved the best score in Indonesia. Of the 42,572 students who sat the exam, only 20 students did not pass. (awd)