Education Ministry Issues Circular on School Exam, New Student Admission Selection

The Ministry of Education and Culture has issued Circular Number 1 of 2020 on the Policy of Learning Freedom to Determine Student Graduation and New Student Admission Selection for Academic Year of 2020/2021.

The Circular, signed by Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Culture Ainun Naim on behalf of Minister of Education and Culture, was issued on 7 February 2020 and is addressed to Governors and Regents/Mayors in Indonesia

Regarding student graduation, the Circular stipulates that Governors and Regents/Mayors in Indonesia shall comply with the following policies:

1. Student graduation is determined by school exam conducted by educational institution and shall be based on the assessment of learning outcomes conducted by teachers.
2. School exam materials for student graduation (including written tests, portfolios, assignments, and/or other forms of activity) are made by teachers in every educational institution.
3. Educational institution that are not ready to produce school exam materials may use exam materials (written tests, assignments, and/or other forms of exam) obtained from various sources, including Teacher’s Working Group and Association of Subject Teachers.
4. The local education offices may not force educational institution to use any specific material in conducting school exam. The Ministry of Education and Culture provides the guidance for school exam on https://puspendik.kemdikbud.go.id/publikasi.

Regarding New Student Admission Selection (PPDB), the Circular states that Governor and Regents/Mayors in Indonesia shall do the following:

1. Immediately compile technical guidelines for the implementation of regional New Student Admission Selection and determine school zoning areas in accordance with their authority as intended by the Regulation of Minister of Education and Culture Number 44 of 2020 on Admissions in Kindergarten, Primary School, Junior High School, Senior High School, and Vocational High School. The regional governments shall work with Head of the Education Quality Assurance Agency of the Ministry of Education and Culture (LPMP Kemendikbud);
2. Send official documents in the form of:
   1. Technical policy on the implementation of regional New Student Admission Selection; and
   2. Determination of school zoning areas,                                                                                    to Head of the LPMP of Ministry of Education and Culture in their respective area, not later than the fourth week of March 2020;
3. Regional governments shall not use the national test scores and/or other test scores in the implementation of New Student Admission Selection through school zoning system and affirmative action;
4. In the event that regional governments carry out test for achievement-based school admission in Junior High School, the tests may be carried out as part of school exam. The participation of students in the aforementioned test must be voluntary. Therefore, the test shall not be compulsory for educational institution or student;
5. In the event that regional governments carry out test for achievement-based school admission in Junior High School as intended by letter d, the Ministry of Education and Culture provides examples of test materials on https://puspendik.kemdikbud.go.id/publikasi;
6. To disseminate:
   1. Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 44 of 2019 on Admissions in Kindergarten, Primary School, Junior High School, Senior High School, and Vocational High School;
   2. Determination of school zoning; and
   3. Technical guidance for the implementation of regional school admission,                      to all school principals, teachers, and parents of students before the announcement of school admission;
7. Report the implementation of school admission to the Ministry of Education and Culture through the LPMP of Ministry of Education and Culture in their respective area not later than 3 (three) months after the implementation of school admission;
8. Further information may be accessed through Information Service Center for School Admission of Ministry of Education and Culture at the Directorate General for Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Secondary Education with Telephone Number 021-5725612, SMS/Whatsapp 081319616241 or via electronic mail: hukum.dikdasmen@kemendikbud.go.id. (kemdikbud.go.id/EN)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Reviewed by: Yuyu Mulyani