International Standard Schools Targeted in Every Regency

TEMPO, Bogor: The National Education Department is targeting the number of international standard school to be continuously increased during the next five years.

According to the Secretary to the Director General for Basic and Secondary Education, Bambang Indriyanto, there should be this kind of school in every regency.

“This kind of school offers the easiest way of measuring educational quality,” said Bambang in a discussion about education in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java, two days ago.

“So the quality of education in Indonesia will be improved,” he said.

Examination reports of students from international standard schools will be compared to schools in countries from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for example like South Korea and Japan.

Bambang confirmed that the establishment of these schools is not for the commercialization of education.

However, the department allows international standard schools to impose levies on its students.

There are six international standard schools in Jakarta.

The Deputy Head of the Jakarta Regional Education Office, Kamaludin, said that Jakarta planned to have 10 more international standard schools every year.

Regarding the levies that are allowed at international standard schools, Kamaludin explained that the office was actually considering the possibility of making this kind of school free.

“We are also considering making the 12-year school compulsory program, including vocational schools, free.”