Thus, the national success rate for students in that category has dropped from last year’s 95.05 percent to 89.88 percent.

National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh said in Jakarta Friday that as many as 154,000 students have failed their first shot at passing last month’s national examinations and would have to sit remedial tests, which would be held in May.

“The tests do not determine solely whether a students graduate or not. We will send the results back to the schools and let the teachers decide,” he said.

Components determining a student’s graduation include the student’s personality and deeds, and their success in the subjects being tested in their individual schools, Nuh said. This year, the pass rate of some regions, which were quite high last year, have surprisingly dropped, he added.

The total number of regular high schools and Islamic high school (Madrasah Aliyah) students participating in this year’s exam was 1,522,162.

“Yogyakarta, for example, dropped to 76.07 percent this year,” Nuh said.

Last year, the province’s pass rate had been 93.46 percent.

Central Kalimantan’s pass rate also dropped from 86.10 percent last year to 60.18 percent this year.

Nuh said decreasing rates in previously successful provinces might be due to the tighter monitoring.

Provinces with the highest number of students that must take remedial tests include East Nusa Tenggara, which posted a 47.50 percent success rate, and North Maluku, with a success rate a little more than 58 percent.

A high school student should take remedial exams if either he or she scored less than 4.00 on one of the six subjects tested or less than 5.50 on the average score of the six subjects.  Those who failed only one subject must resit  that exam.

More than 99,000 students who participated failed in only one subject, while 930 failed in all six subjects that were tested.

Despite the increasing number of those who must take remedial tests, the average mark gained from the tests actually increased by 0.04 percent from the 7.25 percent of 2009..

Nuh said participating schools should prepare consulting services for those who failed at their first shot at the examination.

“Schools should provide guidance and counseling to students who are burdened with the stress of sitting remedial tests,” he said.

Nuh added that universities equipped with psychology majors in the regions should aid in the counseling process.

”There are still three weeks before the tests, so schools should have time,” he said.

High schools are scheduled to announce students’ graduation on Monday. (dis)

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