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another one thought the National Examination should be conducted by adjusting to vocational high school students‟ competencies. However, both of them thought
the National Examination should be based on English for Specific Purposes.
b. Criticism of the National Examination
The National Examination had been a controversial issue in education in Indonesia. Harti writes “discussion or polemic on the National Examination
always happens every year, even all years in Indonesia until they become latent national education discussion” n.d.. The controversy is constructed by two big
sides: the supporting side the government and the opposing side the critics. Retno Listyarti, general secretary of the Federation of Indonesian Teachers
Associations
Federasi Serikat Guru Indonesia
FSGI, said educators had been “protesting the system of the examination implementation for years” Jakarta
Globe, n.d.. In 2006, “a group of teachers filed a lawsuit at the Central Jakarta
District Court demanding the abolition of the national exams. The court granted the request and the government appealed the verdict” The Jakarta Post, 2014,
December 30 . “
The Supreme Court rejected the government‟s appeal” in 2009 The J
akarta Post. They said “the examinations could only be held if their implementation was improved” The Jakarta Post.
1 The National Examination to Increase Intelligence and Improve
Education Quality
Jusuf Kalla, when serving as vice president of Indonesia in 2004-2009, stated that the National Examination is important to help students increase their
intelligence. He believed that students can increase their intelligence if they study and students had the motivation to study if there is test; the abolition of the
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examination would make Indonesian students, as he mentioned it, stupid Dharma, 2012. Because this examination which he believed would make the
students smarter was based on one standard, Kalla was sure that the examination would make all students in Indonesia equally smart despite different
infrastructure each school had Dharma. Believing in the magic this National Examination had, Kalla also believed that in order to make our education level
was equal to Singapore or Malaysia, in five years, all the government must have done was improving the examination difficult level every year Dharma.
Different from Kalla who believed that the National Examination would be able to increase student
s‟ intelligence, Dharma 2012 stated that, other than poverty, hunger, student mobility, health, safety, parent education, etc., students‟
intelligence would be affected by the input and process of education. Realistically, the input and process were still far from standard. In rural areas, many school
buildings were broken; there were not enough teachers in schools, not enough books Dharma. The National Examination was not a tool to make Indonesian
students smarter. It was a tool to measure the output which was resulted from the input and process of education.
2 The National Examination Widen the Academic Achievement Gap
The government believed that the National Examination was an appropriate way to improve students‟ motivation and achievement, even though, according to
critics, this believe the government had was just based on assumption teKUN eF, 2012. According to critics, this belief showed that the government neglected
other factors which might affect students‟ motivation, such as social and ec
onomic factors teKUN eF. “There was a strong relevance between parents‟ PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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socioeconomic status and school condition with academic achievement” Willms, 2006; Fuchs Womann, 2007, as paraphrased in teKUN eF, 364.
As a part of universal interventions, the National Examination, which could be included in graduating test, could indeed improve academic achievement in one
side Willms, 2006 as quoted by teKUN eF, 2012. However, on the other side, it could “establish or even widen academic achievement difference based on
socioeconomic status” Willms, as quoted by teKUN eF. As a high stake test, the National Examination also had many consequences.
The positive consequence was that the examination would motivate the students to be the best teKUN eF, 2012. Other than that, it could also help authority to
select graduates easily teKUN eF. It also had negative consequences. Similar as its status as a part of universal
interventions, the National Examination as a high stake test could also “widen
acad emic achievement gap based on socioeconomic status” Dee Jacob, 2006;
Willms, 2006 as paraphrased by teKUN eF, 2012, 364. It only improved academic achievement of students with good social economical background or
students who studied in schools with good condition Dee Jacob, 2006, as paraphrased by teKUN eF. If this type of examination is conducted since the
students were in their young age, the gap between the students will be more drastic teKUN eF. This gap would form education elites teKUN eF.
High stake test, such as the National Examination, which was scientifically proven made for those with good socioeconomic background can also be seen
from Sarasvati‟s story in helping her students passing the National Examination 2012. In her writing Saravasti told that some of her students did not pass the
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National Examination. According to Saravasti‟s explanation, her students did not pass the National Examination because the school was not in standard condition
and her students were from lower class families. Her students also could not pass the remedial examination and in order to join another remedial examination they
had to pay 250.000 rupiahs or had access to lobby the authority. Some of her students did not pass the second remedial examination, even though one of them
had already got in to a vocational school and did well in the school. In order to help this student passing the National Examination, Sarasvati had to lobby the
ministry of education. Sarasvati‟s conclusion on her experience was, “without money, power, and networks, it would be almost impossible for a student who
fails the examination to continue their schooling” Sarasvati, 244.
3 An Incomprehensive Test
Even though as a high stake test the National Examination was considered able to improve students‟ academic achievement, the improvement meant was only
limited to the tested subjects Bishop, Mane, Bishop, Moriarty, 2001; Phelp, 2001 as summarized in teKUN eF, 2012. The subjects which were not tested
tended to be neglected thus the consequence was that the curriculum became narrowed Gayler, Chudowsky, Hamilton, Kober, Yeager, 2004; Jones, Jones,
Hargrove, 2003; Watanabe, 2006 as paraphrased in teKUN eF. Other than that, student-centered learning process and learning process which
focuses on creativity were also neglected because this type of examination required lots of drilling Abrams, Pedulla, Madaus, 2003; Jones, Jones,
Hargrove, 2003, Vogler, 2005; Zao, 2006 as paraphrased in teKUN eF. Indonesian critics also argued that the National Examination does not cover three
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aspects of objectives which include cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects Harti, n.d. It only covers cognitive aspect Harti.
4 The National Examination Had the Potential to Increase Dropping Out
Risk
High stake test such as the National Examination has the potential to increase dropping out risk, especially for students from lower class Cunningham Sanzo,
2002; Dee Jacob, 2006; Marchant Paulson, 2005; National Research Council, 1997; Reardon, 1996; Warren, Jenkins Kulick, 2006 as paraphrased in teKUN
eF, 2012, students from minority group Dee Jacob, 2006; National Research Council, 1997; Reardon, 1996; Warren, Jenkins, Kulick, 2006 as
paraphrased in teKUN eF, and students with low academic achievement Archer Dresden, 1987; Bishop Mane, 2001; Jacob, 2001 as paraphrased in
teKUN eF. Sarasvati‟s research also showed how the National Examination as a high stake
test made two of her students dropped out of school and one of her students almost dropped out of school 2012. Sarasvati‟s students were from lower class
family. Two students who dropped out did not join the second remedial examination. One of them was asked to work by his parents and another one was
too depressed to go on. One of Sarasvati‟s students who almost dropped out had actually had entered a vocational school. Even though she finally joined the
second remedial examination, she failed. The vocational school told Sarasvati they could not let her student continue her study if she did not pass. After
lobbying members of ministry of education, her student was given the chance to do another exam which she could pass at last. According to Sarasvati, the students
