Don't Confuse The PPDB Zoning Again

JAKARTA - The zoning system for New Student Admissions (PPDB) will be continued by the Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim. This decision is stipulated in Permendikbud Number 44 of 2019 on December 10, 2019.

The arrangement of the admission process for new students according to the region of residence in the next year is made more flexible. The composition of the PPDB zoning route can accept students at least 50 percent, the affirmation pathway is at least 15 percent, and the maximum movement path is 5 percent. For the track of achievement or the remaining 0-30 percent according to regional conditions.

The good thing is that this system aims to equalize the quality of education. So, there are no more schools that are labeled as excellent and pilot schools.

But it is undeniable that the zoning system does have a number of problems. Seeing the experience of PPDB zoning in 2019, the availability of information online or online is considered not yet available in a transparent manner.

Then, a number of school officials deliberately mapped the priority list of students. Then, there are unclear government regulations in determining achievement criteria.

The National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), Ubaid Matraji, thinks that the government is not ready to equalize the quality of education in Indonesia.

"It seems that the government took a shortcut by implementing an equalization policy at the downstream level with a zoning system during PPDB," said Ubaid in a discussion in the Cikini area, Central Jakarta, Monday, December 30.

This decision, said Ubaid, was clearly the wrong address. Given that there are still many schools in the regions where the quality of education is inadequate.

It would be better if, he said, for now the zoning system in PPDB should not be implemented nationally, but be carried out using a piloting system model. Areas that have been declared ready may apply a zoning model.

"So, the main focus at this time is improving and equalizing the quality of schools and the quality of teachers. This includes solving cases of honorary teachers, so that they do not become a sinful policy from generation to generation," he explained.