This year's nationwide final examinations, despite accusations that some principals leaked the papers to their students before test day, have overall seen fewer violation cases brought to the National Education Ministry.
Amin Priyatna, a senior official at the National Education Ministry's inspectorate general speaking in Jakarta on Monday, said this year only one province had reported a major exam violation, compared to 7 provinces in 2008 and 12 in 2007.
Amin said the only major case reported so far in this year's annual exam involved 15 school principals in South Bengkulu, Bengkulu, who reportedly cooperated to leak the exam papers before test day to assist their students.
"Ten state school principals, four private school principals, one state Islamic high school principal and a local head of a secondary education division are currently undergoing questioning by the police," Amin told a press conference at the education ministry's office.
The police are also questioning teachers accused of leaking exam papers to students in the same province and in Bangka-Belitung, he added.
Police are also currently investigating the alleged trade of exam papers in Kendari, a supervisor providing students the solutions to exam problems and the spread of SMS messages containing answers to a number of test questions in provinces across the country.
Head of the National Education Standards Agency, Mungin Eddy Wibowo, said the cases were expected to be settled before the results from the national junior high and senior high school exams were released in June.
He said teachers, principals, exam supervisors and local education agency officials found to have been involved in manipulating the examination process would face punishments ranging from reprimand to dismissal. Furthermore, the results from the exams would be deemed invalid and students would be forced to resit the paper once more.
Amin said the education ministry's inspectorate general had established a special unit to receive and follow up reports of exam manipulation from the public, and also to monitor media reports revealing such allegations.
The national final exams for junior and senior high school students took place late last month, while the same tests for elementary school students is due to take place next week.
During this exam season, more than 10 million students (from primary to university level) sit these papers in the hope of success.
The exams have for years been the subject of controversy, with critics claiming the minimum score set for the exam is unfair because it does not take teaching quality or resources into account and uniformly applies the standard to all schools nationwide. A number of observers have criticized the exams as nothing more than waste of time and money because they are so inaccurate in judging students' capabilities.
The House of Representatives' Commission X, which oversees education, culture and tourism, has said it is planning to review the exam system.
The government, however, has turned a deaf ear to public objections about the national exam system, vowing to maintain it as the only standard for students to graduate from their schooling.
The police are also questioning teachers accused of leaking exam papers to students in the same pro-vince and in Bangka-Belitung, he added.
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