PPDB Dispute, DPR Proposes To Combine Zoning Systems And Use Again Examination Values Like NEM

Photo by Syahrul Alamsyah Wahid on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The government is asked to streamline the task force (Satgas) Monitoring of New Student Admissions (PPDB) that the Ministry of Education and Culture of Research and Technology wants to create following many problems and protests related to the Task Force's effectiveness zoning system are expected to reduce the PPDB chaoticity.

"The biggest problem we face in the world of education is the zoning system. Everywhere people compete to put their children into school in various ways that are not good, such as just taking a temporary stay and also a less significant data issue," said Deputy Chairman of Commission X DPR RI, Dede Yusuf, Tuesday, July 25.

As is known, there are many conflicts against the zoning-based PPDB practice. Starting from the findings of fake Family Cards (KK), inserting names on families as additional family members, to various manipulation modes that are operated as convincingly and as reasonable as possible in order to meet the domicile requirements as the basic principle of zoning PPDB.

Regarding the manipulation of the zoning route, Kemendikbudristek has found many efforts to put the child into a family card whose home address is close to the intended school. Even the Ministry of Education and Culture found that there were 10 to 20 children in one family card.

Dede assessed that there needs to be supervision involving the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to carry out monitoring because it is related to population data.

"This issue must involve other ministries. Especially the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the authority of regional supervision. Because it is suspected that there are many frauds in the acceptance of new students using domicile transfers," he explained.

The PPDB Task Force to be made by the Ministry of Education and Culture is one of the recommendations from Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives following the chaotic chaotic PPDB. In addition to involving relevant ministries/agencies, the PPDB Task Force made by the Ministry of Education and Culture must also coordinate with the education office (disdik) and the Ombudsman in the local area where there are problems.

The Ombudsman was involved because many regional officials took advantage of the PPDB process for personal interests, by committing a number of violations.

"We ask to strengthen the PPDB Task Force together with the Ombudsman, especially in regions to carry out monitoring and checking functions for irregularities, including giving sanctions to authorized officials, which makes PPDB even more problematic, such as asking for money, deposits and so on," said Dede.

In addition to zoning routes, manipulation also occurs in the PPDB system on the achievement path. Because the criteria for the achievement path are not clear, this is often used as a gap in the number of deposits to be included in the intended school to pressure the school.

Therefore, said Dede, another recommendation from Commission X of the DPR RI to the Ministry of Education and Culture is related to improving the PPDB system on the path of achievement.

"In the recommendation, Commission X of the DPR also urges the Ministry of Education and Culture to clarify the mechanisms, definitions and criteria on the path of achievement. Because of the unclear criteria, it is widely used as an opportunity for certain parties to manipulate," said the legislator from the West Java II electoral district.

In its recommendation, Commission X of the DPR firmly asked the Ministry of Education and Culture to evaluate the total PPDB system. The Commission in the DPR in charge of education affairs gave the Ministry of Education and Culture a deadline to report the results of the evaluation no later than the end of October 2023.

If there is no improvement, Commission X of the DPR asks the Ministry of Education and Culture to change the zoning PPDB system. Given the problem of zoning PPDB, it has always appeared every new school year since the system was implemented.

"If this problem always occurs every year, there needs to be improvements. And we will give it until October, if there is still no solution, then change the system," said Dede.

The former Deputy Governor of West Java understands that the zoning system in PPDB aims well for equitable distribution of the quality of education in Indonesia. However, Dede assessed that the zoning system actually caused new problems because it was not accompanied by the development of public schools according to the needs and locations.

There are actually students who are too choosing to go to one or two schools, while the other schools are empty of interest. This should be mapped out. This includes the need for teachers, which if we pull back again will still be the big homework in our world of education," he said.

Dede also proposed that new admissions be returned to the same as the previous school registration system, namely selection based on the scores of final school exams such as when there was still a NEM (Nilai EBTANAS Murni). However, systems like this are tightened with the needs of each region.

"So we will ask to immediately create a new system that prioritizes principles and rights to testing (testing), for example, we can return to the 'NEM' system, but the testing is only for non-zoned registrants," said Dede.

"So the zoning system still exists, so zoning can be reduced to 20%, then there is an achievement system, it's non-akademic," he added.

In addition to the return of the system, the Government is also asked to consider taking over the responsibility of students who are not accepted in public schools. Such as by providing financial assistance or subsidies for students who are finally forced to attend private schools, especially for children from underprivileged families.

Karena banyak sekali keluarga yang terjebak pada masalah biaya pendidikan setelah anaknya tidak diterima di sekolah negeri. Jadi boleh berkolah di swasta tapi difinan oleh negara, itu opsi yang lebih kuat lagi, tetapi nanti-akhirnya adalah kemampuan anggaran negara harus siap," tutur Dede.