FSGI Rejects UN As A Requirement For School Graduation

Illustration: Students take part in the Computer-Based National Assessment (ANBK) test at SD Negeri 1 Gunungsari, Sadananya, Ciamis, West Java, Monday (4/11/2024). BETWEEN PHOTOS/Adeng Bustomi/rwa. (ANTARA PHOTO/ADENG BUSTOMI)

JAKARTA - The Federation of Indonesian Teachers' Unions (FSGI) rejects the implementation of the National Examination (UN) which is currently being considered by the Ministry of Elementary and Secondary Education (Kendiksasmen).

According to FSGI Secretary General Heru Purnomo, the implementation of UN often makes students feel anxious, because this activity is an absolute requirement for students' graduation. This condition made him reject the UN re-implementation plan.

"But if the UN is only intended as a means of evaluation at the end of the level, then the UN results are used as a selection tool, which will have various negative impacts," said Heru as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 5.

The refusal came based on the experience of himself and his fellow teachers who had experienced it at the time the UN was enforced.

According to him, when UN becomes the determining tool for student graduation, frauds appear that aim only to get graduation.

Not only did the emergence of various frauds for graduation, he said, the budget and costs incurred also increased. Many schools charge fees for conducting material deepening for student preparation.

According to a member of the Rembang Archipelago Learning Teacher Community (KGBN), Nissa sees that UN is actually placing the mother's position more vulnerable in the family.

"The impact of this UN is like a chain that does not break. When a child does not pass UN, verbal violence can occur in the family. In the end, a husband can blame his wife for failing to become a mother," he said.

Therefore, he said, from various perspectives, the implementation of the UN is no longer relevant. Chairman of the Indonesian National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Itje Chodidjah emphasized that the UN cannot be applied to Indonesia's current education.

In fact, mental maturity and skills are skills, such as communication, collaboration, and creativity, which school students really need in the face of the future.

"If the national exam is brought back to school, then our classrooms will be filled with training activities for students to answer exam questions," said Itje.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission X Hetifah Sjaifudian admitted that although it was open to UN discussions, the negative impact felt must also be considered.

He reflected on the experience of past implementation, UN did bring excessive pressure to students.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Teachers Association (IGI) Satria Dharma assessed that the implementation of the UN was an act of violating the law or illegal. He referred to the decision of the Supreme Court (MA) on September 14, 2009, which prohibited the UN from being carried out by the Ministry of National Education.

The Supreme Court's decision also upheld the decision of the Jakarta High Court on December 6, 2007 and the Central Jakarta District Court on May 21, 2007.

The Central Jakarta District Court stated that the government had been negligent in providing fulfillment and protection of human rights for citizens who were victims of UN, especially on the rights to education and children.