Spirit of Togetherness Can Overcome Limitations
Passengers on board a motorized boat from Saparua Island to Nusalaut Island, Central Maluku regency, Maluku, on Saturday (8/4). The boat transported national exam materials for two senior high schools in Nusalaut Island, namely state senior high school SMA Negeri 1 Nusalaut and Christian senior high school Ameth.
The educational system has been digitalized with the setting of computer-based national examinations for junior schools (SMP), senior high schools (SMA) and senior vocational schools (SMK).
Local administrations have been encouraged to increase the number of schools participating in the computer-based national examinations (UNBK).
Amid the efforts to use advanced technology in the country’s educational system, students and schools in certain locations were scrambling to overcome limitations by sharing.
For 23 students of senior vocational school SMK Negeri 1 Rancabali, Bandung regency, West Java, the struggle to write the UNBK was not just about the exam questions. They had to go to another school about 30 kilometers from Rancabuli. SMK 3 Baleendah was the nearest school with the same skills program in the field of agriculture.
On Monday morning (April 3) at 10:30, the students of SMK 1 Rancabali, while waiting for the other students to complete their exams, discussed a number of topics, ranging from the Indonesian language and mathematics to agribusiness and horticulture.
Problems created togetherness among the students. In addition to discussing the possible exam questions, they also motivated to pass the exams. "We struggle together and want to pass the exams together," Asep, 19, one of the students, said.
However, despite their serious efforts taking part in the exams, the students, mostly of the children of tea leaf pickers, were little bit nervous, although they had taken part in the exam simulations earlier.
"There was a sense of nervousness because we had to take turns doing the exams because the number of computers was limited. There was also a bit of pressure because we had to take the exams after the other students. However, in pursuit of a dream, we should be able to overcome these problems," Asep added.
Asep and his friends had to go to SMK 3 Baleendah a day before the UNBK was held. They paid a cook at the school to prepare their meals and they slept on mattresses in a classroom.
Rent a house and car
Muamalah, 19, and 22 other students from vocational senior school SMK Sirrul Lerpak in Cholil village, Geger district, Bangkalan, Madura Island, East Java, also had to travel far to participate in the UNBK. They had to go to SMK 1 Bangkalan, 35 kilometers from their school.
They stayed in a house rented by the school and 11 of them were crammed onto a minibus to go to SMK 1 Bangkalan.
"Because the distance to our village is too far away, the school rented two houses about three kilometers from SMK 1 Bangkalan. So, we stayed there a day before the UNBK so we were not late or too exhausted," said Muamalah, who majored in office administration.
There were four other senior vocational schools from Bangkalan who had students taking the exams in the same place, namely SMK Bezab, SMK An Najah, SMK Sunan Ampel and SMK Manbaus Salam. A total of 83 students from the five schools were scheduled to take the exams in the third session from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
After the exams, Muamalah described the tension she felt when she first heard that she would take the national exams at another school. "I was nervous to imagine how it would be. I was also not so confident," she said.
In February and March, Muamalah and her friends went to SMK 1 Bangkalan four times for simulation and skill competency tests. They also stayed overnight in a rented house.
The head of SMK Sirrul Cholil, Nur Hasan, explained that the school was unable to hold the UNBK independently because it had not received accreditation and did not have any computers or laptops. The school was founded in 2014 and Muamalah and her friends were the first generation of students.
As the school had limited funds, Hasan asked his students to pay Rp 300,000 each to rent a house and a vehicle for the UNBK. The students had to stay for 15 days until the end of the national exams. The cost to rent two houses was Rp 3 million. They also had to pay Rp 800 for public transportation to take them to the school and then bring them home. In addition, they had to pay Rp 1 million to rent the van that took them to the exam location.
Hasan said he hoped that with all the sacrifices of their students would the initial step toward improving the quality of the students and the school. "The students’ experiences in the UNBK are needed so that the students get used to using technology to learn," Hasan added.
Lack of confidence
A lot of students who took the national exams at other schools initially felt insecure. That feeling persisted although they had an opportunity to participate in an exam simulation to know the system and the school where the exam was held.
Ati, 18, a student from SMK Majenang Yos Sudarso, Cilacap, Central Java, went with three friends. Arriving at the gate of SMK Komputama Majenang, they hid behind the backs of other friends until their teachers from SMK Yos Sudarson came over.”I’m not so confident,” Ani said as she rushed up to the second floor to take the exams in the banking laboratory room on Wednesday (April 5). In exam room number 5, 49 students of SMK Yos Sudarso UNBK took their national exams.
Ati was shy and insecure. They had to take the national exams at another school because their school did have enough computers. In fact, they were teased. "Are you going to school or making a visit for pleasure?” Ati said, mimicking the teasing.
Saedahtul Afika, 18, a student of the Department of Commerce of SMK Yos Sudarso, said that although she felt shy and awkward, especially on the first day of the exams, she was still trying to be calm and focused on the test.
"The important thing is I came here for the test. I want to pass it well, "Afika said.
The vice principal of SMK Majenang Yos Sudarso for vocational curriculum, Endang Jaka Wahyu Aji, said the school held the national exams because there were calls from the government that all vocational schools should hold them.
"This was the first time we held the UNBK. Next year, we hope we will be able to have an adequate number of computers. We will talk with the government, the foundation, and also the school committee," she said.
Meanwhile the vice principal for vocational curriculum at SMK Kanisius Solo, FX Juli Pramana, said 19 students of the school took the national exams at SMK Grafika Ign Slamet Riyadi.
This year, the school decided to set the national exams because all public and private vocational schools in Surakarta should hold the UNBK. "We\'re the only school (in Surakarta) that sent students to other schools to take the exams," he said.
In Sukoharjo district, four high schools also sent students to other schools to take the UNBK on Monday (April 4). The schools were SMAN Mojolaban, SMAN Nguter, Polokarto SMAN and SMAN Tawangsari.
The principal of SMAN Mojolaban, Harmani said his school set the UNBK using the computer facility in SMK PGRI Sukoharjo.
"The national exams of SMK PGRI Sukoharjo have been completed, so we borrowed the computers of SMK PGRI, which has three laboratory rooms each with 40 computers," he said. The head of research and development at the Cultural and Educational Ministry, Totok Suprayitno, said that the UNBK can encourage the spirit of cooperation between schools.
"The cooperation is not only between schools at the same level, but also at different ranges. For example, high schools or vocational schools that lack computers can conduct the exams at junior high schools. Thus, schools that do not have their own facilities are still able to carry out the UNBK," Totok said.
(TAM/ADY/RWN/DNE/ELN)
