T

he Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry has planned to grant the authority to assess the results of students'€™ national exams to each school, believing that the schools will be prudent in assessing their students.

'€œI have decided that there will still be national exams but schools have the authority to issue the results. Schools have full authority to determine graduation. More details will come in the next 10 days as they are still currently being discussed,'€ said Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan in a seminar on Saturday in Medan, North Sumatra, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Anies said that honesty should become the main part of the process since the exams still play the role as a parameter of success of the learning process.

He further elaborated that more should be done to improve the quality of teachers.

Anies said that teachers should be able to do more than deliver materials of a subject. They should also inspire students.

Previously, in order to pass the national exam, secondary students had to score at least a four in every subject and had to have an average score (that factored in the national exam, school exams and reports) that was no lower than 5.5.

High school students who failed the national exam had to take another test the following year or an equivalent test and receive a different kind of diploma than their peers.

The equivalency test was usually taken by anyone who had dropped out of school but later wanted to obtain a degree that was equivalent to a high school diploma.

Many students reportedly experienced depression while others allegedly cheated on the exam with their friends and teachers.

Aside from reforming the national exams, the government has also postponed the implementation of the 2013 Curriculum as a result of insufficient support from teachers and textbooks.

The 2013 curriculum, first implemented by Anies'€™ predecessor, Mohammad Nuh, has drawn harsh criticism for creating confusion among students, parents and teachers, who have complained about the extra work it demanded.

While imposing many changes in the learning process from the previous curriculum, the government implemented it after only a one year trial.

Teachers have been reportedly struggled with the curriculum, which required more IT skills as well as mastery in reading.

The ministry has ordered schools to return to the 2006 Curriculum, except for those which have already implemented the 2013 Curriculum during the trial period.

Some schools, however, have refused to return to the 2006 Curriculum since they have ordered students to buy textbooks and other materials to support the implementation of the 2013 Curriculum in the last July semester.