NATIONAL EXAM BEING USED AS TARGET OF PRACTICAL POLITICS?

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 15 (Antara) - Amid the general elections in the current 'year of politics', when the country will see a change in the leadership in October, the government is organizing a national examination for senior high school students.          A total of 2.8 million students from upper secondary schools (SMA), senior high Islamic schools (MA), senior high vocational schools (SMK), and Packet C students appeared for a three-day-long state examination across the country on Monday.          The 2.8 million students will become first-time voters in the July 9, 2014, presidential election. They can contribute a large number of votes to electoral contestants.          Therefore, it was surprising when it was found that the name of popular Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, appeared in the Indonesian Language subject of the national examination.          As Jokowi was named as a presidential candidate by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the inclusion of his name in the exam materials soon drew criticism.            Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPIA) Budiharjo said politics should not enter the education world, let alone used in national examination.          "KPAI regretted the fact that the name of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo had been included in the question materials of the national examination. Moreover, it was suspected that the inclusion of his name had a political motive," Budiharjo said here on Tuesday.          He said actually there would be no problem if national figures' names were included in the materials as long as it was done comprehensively, that is, also included other heroes' names, not only a single name. There are many national figures that can be included in the materials.          The problem was that, he said, the only name included in the examination materials on Monday, April 14, was Jokowi's.          "Indonesia not only has one best category of governor or mayor. It has many. Furthermore, this time is a period of legislative elections and is the run up to a presidential race," the KPAI deputy chairman said. Indonesia had just organized a legislative election last Wednesday, which placed the PDIP in the first rank.          He said the Indonesian people were smart enough to know the political motive for the inclusion of Jokowi's name in the examination subject.          "The ministry of education and culture must ask the team compiling the exam materials about the matter. Students should not be burdened with matters relating to practical politics, let alone if they are forced to enter the political arena," Budiharjo said.          Meanwhile, Jakarta Governor Jokowi said he will investigate those responsible for including his name in the Indonesian Language subject of the national examination materials.          "We have to settle this or otherwise people will think that Jokowi can only remain silent if attacked," Jokowi said at the City Hall on Tuesday.          Jokowi said he objected to the inclusion of his name in the national examination's question papers, asking why and how it could happen. He said the subject should instead contain the names of heroes who had fought for the nation.          "It should be asked who included it. Is it done by the Jakarta regional government? or by Jokowi? I really do not understand it," he said.          He said he objected to the inclusion of his name in the Indonesian Language subject of the national exam. "I have read the question paper on the subject. I object to the matter. So, I will chase this problem until settled," Jokowi said.          He said the subjects in national examination should have national values, such as the history of national heroes. "The materials should concern national heroes, all national heroes who have fought for this nation," he said.          He said the inclusion of his name in the national examination was one of the ways people can hamper him, owing to the fact that he had been nominated as a presidential candidate.          "The inclusion of my name in the national examination materials could clearly be seen as an effort to let me fall, leaving the impression as if I were the one who designed it," he said.          He said the Jakarta regional government had no right to draft examination materials so it was impossible for his side to be involved. "The compilation of the exam materials is not our affair. It is not the affair of Jokowi either. It should not happen that the question materials could serve as a loophole for others to besmirch me," he stressed.          The Jakarta Governor admitted, however, that he remained relaxed with the case, but was determined to investigate it so that it would not be protracted. In the Indonesian Language subject of the national examination in Central Java, a text regarding Jokowi's biography was found. There were two questions on the text.          Political observer Said Salahudin of the People's Synergy for Indonesian Democracy (SIGMA) said previously the name of Jakarta Governor Jokowi had been mentioned as one the subjects in the national examination materials on the Indonesian Language.          He said the inclusion of his name clearly indicated an attempt to introduce Jokowi to first-time voters in the presidential elections scheduled to be held on July 9, 2014.          "Does it not indicate a political message? The exam is for grade 3 of senior high school students who are first-time voters. So, there is an indication of an attempt to introduce Jokowi to first-time voters in the next presidential race," Salahudin said.          He said the presence of Jokowi's name in the exam papers could be interpreted as an attempt to introduce him to first-time voters. After all, it coincided with the general elections period.          "I read it and I think it contains a picture on the figure of Jokowi," he said.          Therefore, this should be studied to find out whose idea it was to include Jokowi's name as well as to reveal the motive behind it.      "National examination on Indonesian Language should be purely concerned with academic subjects. It should not be infiltrated with political interest or messages," he argued.          If the world of education had been contaminated by political interest, then the country's educational orientation will be misled.          "The Ministry of Education and Culture should explain this and its motives for the inclusion (Jokowi's name). It should explain from whom the idea came. It must be able to explain it because the examination materials were drafted by a team," he said.          Actually, according to Deputy Chairman KPAI Budiharjo, younger generations, including students, need political education for character building, but not practical politics.          "Younger generations, including senior high school students, need political education to understand the life of the nation and state," he said here on Tuesday. However, the Jokowi case in the exam papers could be interpreted as an attempt to drag students into practical politics.          Therefore, the KPAI expressed regret on the fact that the name of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo had been included in the exam materials for national examination across the country on Monday.          He said that children should not politically be exploited. That's why the KPAI strongly reacted when campaigners also involved children in the rallies in the run-up to the legislative elections last week.          "If there is proof of students' exploitation in the national examination case, the KPAI will interfere. Now we are still waiting for clarification from the ministry of education and culture," Budiharjo added.***3*** (T.A014/INE/B003) EDITED BY INE (T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 15-04-2014 21:08: