Primary and secondary education
Pre-school education lasts between 1 and 3 years, and is not compulsory. It is followed
by primary school (Sekolah Dasar) and junior secondary school, both of which are
compulsory. Primary education lasts for 6 years and the medium of instruction is officially
Bahasa Indonesia, although regional languages are also used during the first 3 years.
Secondary education starts with 3 years of junior secondary school, upon completion of
which students are awarded the certificate Ijazah Sekolah Menengah Pertama (SMP).
Senior secondary school also lasts for 3 years, and is divided into a general track
(Sekolah Menengah Atas, SMA) and a vocational track (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan,
SMK).
From the second year onwards, students in the general track can choose between the
following subject clusters: natural sciences, social sciences, and languages. Students
participate in the school examination for a large amount of subjects including those
belonging to the chosen subject cluster. Students must also sit a state examination (only
for the subjects included in the chosen subject cluster), upon completion of which the
Surat Keterangan Hasil Ujian Nasional certificate is issued. An average score of 6.0 (on a
scale of 1-10) is required in order to pass the state examination, with a minimum score of
4.26 for each subject. The certificate of graduation of the senior secondary education is
the Ijazah Sekolah Menengah Atas (Ijazah SMA).
In terms of level, the Ijazah Sekolah
Menengah Atas (SMA) is comparable to a
HAVO diploma in the Netherlands.
Islamic education is provided at primary and general secondary level. In addition to a
core curriculum from the Ministry of Education, these schools also follow a curriculum of
Islamic subjects. Upon completion of senior secondary school students receive the Ijazah
Madrasah Aliyah. The state examination is the same as for general education, as is the
name of the certificate.
All other candidates, e.g. those who are schooled through non-formal education, partake
in the state examination Paket C. Successful candidates receive the Ijazah and Surat
Keterangan Hasil Ujian Nasional with a mention of the chosen subject cluster and the
partaken examination (Paket C)