Parents and school authorities are left confused after the Ministry of Education issued new requirements for schools to accept secondary schools. When schools are about to open, secondary school admissions are approaching.
Recently, the Ministry of Education and Culture issued a circular that states the requirements that must be met by all junior high schools, starting from infrastructure, human resources, and enrollment numbers. For example, all schools in urban and densely populated areas must meet a minimum enrollment of 45 students to avoid the threat of mergers.
In the written scenario, a primary school with no more than 45 students will be integrated with other schools within a radius of 2 km and act as feeder schools. They must also ensure that schools have enough teachers with minimum qualifications, i.e. diplomas and the necessary infrastructure to accommodate secondary school students. Teachers will also need to clearly assess whether they will deliver the SMP secondary curriculum (KBK).
In addition, all secondary schools must have a laboratory to manage the integrated science process. The ministry recommends two secondary school classrooms, proper hygiene maintenance, adequate playgrounds, and hygienic food, among others. However, school leaders complain that it is almost impossible to meet all these demands due to insufficient funds.
School teachers asked the government to plan to increase funds to build laboratories, additional classrooms and hire laboratory technicians. However, the president said some schools with additional classrooms could be converted into secondary schools and laboratories. The latest guidelines mentioned above apply to both public and private primary schools.