Malang (malangkota.go.id) – In 2017, a zoning system policy emerged for the New Student Admissions (PPDB) process at various school levels. This zoning policy also changed the admission requirements for prospective state school students. So does zoning bring positive changes in the scope of education?
Regarding this, Lecturer of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) Prof. H. Akhsanul In'am, Ph.D. gave his explanation, Thursday (20/7/2023). According to him, the zoning system has a good purpose, namely so that children can learn without any elements of sorting based on their intelligence. In addition, it also has an effect on equalizing the quality of teachers without looking at the popularity of the school.
Furthermore, he emphasized several things that must be considered from the zoning system. One of them is that teachers must be able to provide the same quality of teaching in each school, so that students do not feel the difference. He added that each school will have varied student input. This will make the educator's experience not much different.
Akhsanul said that teachers must teach and educate students with different levels of intelligence. Teachers must also be able to maximize students' potential and push them to the best level. What needs to be understood is that the zoning system has positive and negative impacts.
"Therefore, there needs to be development and improvement. I think, basically every school has a level of education quality that is not much different. It depends on the quality of teaching and education provided by teachers in each school concerned," he continued.
However, Akhsanul explained that this zoning system is not without challenges. One of them is related to the distance of schools for prospective students. "For example, when students want to go to school A even though it is in a different zone because it is closer to home. However, because of this policy, they cannot do so and instead enter a school that is far from home because it is considered to be in the same zone," he explained.
Fortunately, this problem has been solved by reducing the percentage of acceptance from the zoning system. Namely at least 70 percent for elementary schools (SD), 50 percent for junior high schools (SMP) and senior high schools (SMA). So that the opportunity for prospective students to compete in the regular path increases because the quota increases.
Fraud must also receive special attention. According to Akhsanul, the entrustment of prospective students to a number of individuals must be eliminated, so that healthy competition between students in an effort to enter school can grow.
"All the systems that have been built will be in vain if there are still frauds that harm one party. Let's teach the true moral values to the nation's successors," he said. (say/yon)
