"BSNP will carry out a thorough assessment, aimed at improving the quality of equivalency education and to ensure its equality with formal education," said National Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo on the sidelines of Sampoerna Foundation’s launch of new education grant in Jakarta on Tuesday (29/8).

Related to public perception concerning equivalency education, National Education Minister asserted that the Law 20/2003 on National Education System (Sisdiknas) ensure (the equality of) non-formal education. Therefore, universities and other higher education institutions should give an equal treatment to holders of equivalency program diploma.
"Any citizens subjected to discrimination could bring the case to the court," said National Education Minister.

Meanwhile, BSNP member Fauzia Aswin Adis said equivalency education is an alternative given to students failing to graduate in the national examination. They were given an opportunity to take an examination in non-formal education."Equivalency education programs are taken before the examination. The Packet C equivalency diploma can be used to enroll to universities and to find jobs," he asserted.
Related to the role of BNSP to administer the equivalency examination, Fauzia said he welcome the policy.

Equality

Meanwhile, Director General of Non-formal Education (PLS) at the National Education Ministry, Ace Suryadi, said the problems in the equivalency examination are prepared by BSNP with the same level of difficulties compared to the national examination in formal school. "The level of difficulty and the validity are equal. We also apply the same competency standard," said Ace.

He explained, that BSNP will discuss the form of equivalency exam, whether the problems will be identical with those in the national examination, for instance, mathematics, Indonesian and English language; it is up to BNSP as an independent body to make the decision concerning the formulation.

Meanwhile, Director of Equivalency Education at the Non Formal Education Directorate General (PLS) at the National Education Ministry, Ella Yulaelawati, said the policy to let the BSNP administer the national examination is to allow the agency to set up the schedule to adjust it with the new university student enrolment, therefore, students who take the equivalency exam could enroll to universities in the same academic year.

Students failing to graduate in the 2006 national examination could not enroll to universities in the same year because they still did not get their equivalency diploma when university registration opens.

Ideally, the Packet C exam should be held immediately after the announcement of the national examination’s result to allow students failing to graduate to take the equivalency exam immediately. Other technical consideration: Some of the subject tested are not included in the national examination, for instance, vocational school students do not learn administration which is tested in the Packet C examination.  "They are tensed and worry that they might fail. Because they have never learnt the subject tested," Ella said.

Further, she said, the examination was checked in computer sheet (LJK). The computer sheet scanning was carried out in the provincial level. This is different to the previous years in which the computer sheet scanning was carried out in the central administration.