Quality Assurance needs to be optimized

Kompas, page 12, Saturday, May 6

Quality assurance of higher education internally and externally that has not run optimally becomes the factor causing the low quality of graduates. This is reflected by the accreditation of institutions or study programs/courses that have not been ideal, which also affects the quality of graduates who must follow the competency test.

According to Director of Quality Assurance Directorate General of Learning and Student Affairs Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Aris Junaidi, accreditation results are closely related to the number of student graduate participants passing the competency tests. Aris cited the data of those passing the competency test in the health field.  Competency tests are currently implemented for doctors, dentists, midwives, and nurses. There is also one for teachers. The better the higher education accreditation, the better too are the participants passing it.

In higher education institutions (PT) accredited A, the graduation/passing of competency tests is above 80 percent, while those accredited B reaches 70 percent. Those accredited C participants graduating/ passing are below 30 percent. Of the 4,472 PT in Indonesia today, only 50 PT have A accreditation. Study programs accredited A total 2,512 study programs out of 20,254 accredited study programs.  Aris added the culture of quality should be the commitment of higher education institutions. This starts with the implementation of the internal quality assurance system (SPMI) in the respective study programs and institutions.

Head of Sub Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance System Syahrul Aminullah said his party developed a number of programs to strengthen the internal quality assurance of each PT. This is done by establishing a mobile SPMI Clinic to assist PTs that wish to prepare SPMI in their institution.