WENR

Indonesia’s System of Education

 

The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for Indonesia’s four main divisions of education: primary and secondary education; higher education; culture and out-of-school education; and sports. Primary education, which is both free and compulsory, is divided into three semesters. Secondary education is divided into two semesters. There are also many private institutions at all levels.

The language of instruction is Bahasa Indonesia. Local regional languages (primarily Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese) may be used during the first three years of primary school.

Academic Year: Mid-July to mid-June (before 1978, the school year ran from January to December).

Primary Education

Duration: Six Years (Grades 1 to 6)
School Age Average: 6/7 to 12
Leaving exam: The Evaluasi Belajar Tahap Akhir /EBTA or the Evaluasi Belajar Tahap Akhir Nasional: Sekolah Dasar /EBTANAS: SD.
Award: EBTANAS: SD Certificate

Junior Secondary Education

Entry Requirements: EBTANAS: SD Certificate and Primary School Grades
Duration: Three Years (Grades 7-9)
School Age Average: 13 to 15
Leaving Exam: The Evaluasi Belajar Tingkat Akhir Nasional: Sekolah Menengah Pertama /EBTANAS: SMP (National Evaluation of Studies at the Final Level: Junior Secondary School)
Award: Surat Tanda Tamat Belajar Sekolah Menengah Umum Tingkat Pertama/STTB SMP (Junior Secondary School Certificate of Completion)

Senior Secondary School (Academic Track)

Entry Requirements: STTB SMP Certificate
Duration: Three Years (Grades 10-12)
School Age Average: 16 to 18
Courses taken at this level include: economics, chemistry and Indonesian and world history, in addition to various technical, commercial and agricultural subjects. Computing courses and foreign languages other than English are also offered.
Leaving exam: Evaluasi Belajar Tingkat Akhir Nasional: Sekolah Menengah Atas/EBTANAS: SMA (National Evaluation of Studies at the Final Level: Academic Senior Secondary School)
Award: Surat Tanda Tamat Belajar Sekolah Menengah Umum Tingkat Atas/STTB: SMA (Senior Secondary School Certificate of Completion)

Senior Secondary School (Technical/Vocational Track)

Entry Requirements: STTB SMP Certificate

Three-Year Programs

Award: Sekolah Teknik Menengah (STM) tradesman or a skilled worker qualification.

Islamic Schools

Leaving Exam: Evaluasi Belajar Tahap Akhir Nasional/EBTAN
Award: Surat Tanda Tamat Belajar-Madrasah Aliyah (Madrasah Menengah Tingkat Atas)/STTB MA (MMTA)

Higher Education

Entry requirements: Ujian Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Negari/UMPTN (Entrance Examination to State Universities)

The Ministry of Education and Culture reports that there are 77 public tertiary institutions and 1,365 private. A partial listing of universities appears at the very end of this section.

Accreditation

University Higher Education

Programs and Degrees

Stage 1: The Sarjana (S1) degree is awarded after completing four years of study. Professional disciplines (medicine, dentistry, science, pharmacy, engineering, etc.) require an additional two to six semesters.

Stage 2: The Magister (S2) is awarded after two more years of course work and research following the Sarjana, including the writing of a thesis. Admission requires an undergraduate GPA of between 2.5 and 2.75, letters of recommendation and sometimes English language proficiency.

Stage 3: The Doktor (S3) requires additional coursework after the Magister and the writing of a dissertation.

Indonesian University Graduation Requirements
Award Credits Semesters
Sarjana 1 (Sarjana Satu) 144 – 160 8
Sarjana 2 (Magister) 180 – 194 12
Sarjana 3 (Doktor) 230 16

 

Non-University Higher Education

Polytechnics: Offer two- to three year programs in engineering technology, agriculture, business administration, accountancy, graphics, publishing and tourism.

Academies: Are single faculty institutions offering technical programs leading to diplomas or certificates.