Indonesian New Zoning School Admission System: Education Equality for Student’s Less Effort

Imelda Meg
Sep 3, 2018 · 5 min read
Source: Google

As a good education center in which progressively senior students are expected to graduate every year, school should, as well, admit new students annually. In Indonesia, it is recognizable that the method of enrolment for public school continues to develop and might change as the government regulation changes. Recently, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia put a new rule, Regulation of The Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia (Abbr. Permendikbud) No 14 year 2018, to replace the old one, Permendikbud No 17 year 2017.

In the new regulation, it was stated that the old regulation has not suitable any longer for the education service needs that it is significant to be changed. Being read from its sub-article, the main purpose of this new system of enrolment is to against discrimination as school admissions should be non-discriminative, transparent, fair, accountable, and objective to increase the quality of education service access.

Contrasting from the previous regulations, student candidates who are prior to be accepted in a public school is no longer those with excellent academic grades and non-academic achievements. Instead, the student whose home address is nearby the school will get more chance to attend the chosen school. The new regulation requires the public school to admit at the minimum of 90% of its total freshmen from neighborhood. Other 5% will be for those with outstanding academic or non-academic records and the rest 5% will be for those who just transferred from other cities or areas.

These new regulation results number of arguments. From the pro side spoken up by some related responsible people for the change of regulation, zoning school helps granting equality, calming the traffic in the morning, preventing uneven distribution of education quality and ‘selling seats’ or jual bangku as well as developing students’ social skills such as greeting people on the road.

However, many also disagree as they see that grades are thought to be the most important particle of education quality. It will be a serious issue, hence, for students with good grades but their parents whose business requires them to move from and to other city. Imagining that student candidates will less endeavour the good grades knowing that they would be auto-admitted to the school nearby, education quality will instead be seriously endangered.

The well intention of ending discrimination, instead can be the boomerang for us. Study reveals that zoning system which is already implemented in other countries is proven to have negative effects for the family backgrounds. An argument also emerges saying that families with better luck in socio-economic background will obviously give better facility to students and that the students can result better grade than the students who come from less lucky family background. Therefore, there is no way to make student with less luck could endeavour good grade and compete the student with better luck. Zoning system is thought to mix student backgrounds in positive way. Otherwise, discrimination will grow rapidly. This may create student background crisis. Some researches on school and economic background of students from Riedel et al (2009), Burgess & Briggs, (2006); Bifulco et al (2009), Burgess et al (2011), West (2006), and Seppänen (2003), Poikolainen, (2012) found that gathering students from better socioeconomic backgrounds into certain schools, will create positive peer effects. For example, students from less income family will perform better when they are surrounded with students with similar condition. The fact that school still cannot give exactly the same facility and quality, student will perform better in the school they think they consider to be comfortable and capable to reach. These should not be seen as discrimination. By zoning, student is given limited options to find a match school’s environment with student condition.

Besides, by Betts & Roemer (2007); Woessmann, (2008) and Woessmann (2009) argue that educational worth of students should not be align with their family socio-economic background in any way. In other words, educational discrimination may considerably be tolerated should it results from effort distinction. These mean that the schools are responsible to provide the same facilities and qualities with other schools for student. So that students who are in less favorite school could be as confident as student from favorite school.

By opinion that zoning can prevent uneven distribution of education quality in all parts of the nation, it can be reflected that the role of the school itself has failed and neglected. The fact that schools’ ranking will still exist regarding to many aspects, makes status ‘favorite school’ cannot not be avoided. Consequently, not only student and system who should be given the best concern for education quality and equality, but also school. We must find a way how to make less favorite schools to be equally competitive with other more favorite schools. School must create the best output but ironically, by the spoken reason delivered, it is shown that some schools agree to have less strength to improve student’s academic ability. The question occurs is that, in such case, why do we risk by putting the-already-academically-outstanding-student to the nearest powerless school?

Zoning method also will trigger the decrease of citizens’ mobility. This will also give a negative impact to the development of a country. Education quality may be distributed equally but in one case, behind it, there may be parent who need to still keep an eye of their children so that they must stay in the zone where no jobs offered.

It has been a public secret that bribe can occur in any kind of situation. It is an issue that no one can control. No one would guarantee that the new admission system would block parents from ‘buying seats’ for the children, in case parents from outside zone are financially more capable from the parent from inside zone, it finally will be back to depend on the respective parties.

Regarding students are expected to greet people along the way they walk to near school for their social skills, it give the understanding that by not walking to school, someone is permitted not to greet. Students should be encouraged to greet everyone, anytime with or without vehicle, so that no matter how far the school is, student ethically gives greeting and performs other possible social skills.

The solution offered for the zoning issue is reconsidering the percentage of admitted students with zoning based. 90 percent is too big percentage for zoning. Give more space for academic outstanding student in order to give sense of competitiveness and encouragement to the less outstanding student, to give students the choice to select the school they think they are comfortable with since not every school gives the same facility and equality yet. Lastly, not only the system of enrolment itself that should be developed, school must also improve. Every school must have equal facility and have the confidence to boost students’ academic skill so that every academic institution could result the best output.

As a developing country, we have to welcome every effort and try opportunity. However, we should be really careful of whether it brings real betterment or instead, contretemps. To avoid contretemps, let us endeavour things that we, ourselves, can control. We can also learn from other countries’ experience without neglecting the particular condition and situation of our country.

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