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Police launch probe of national exams
Tonight, we are young: Students of state senior high school 6 and those of neighboring state senior high school 70 entertain each other after a meeting with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo on Thursday, the last day of their national exams
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Tonight, we are young: Students of state senior high school 6 and those of neighboring state senior high school 70 entertain each other after a meeting with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo on Thursday, the last day of their national exams. (JP/PJ Leo) (JP/PJ Leo)
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span class="inline inline-none">Tonight, we are young: Students of state senior high school 6 and those of neighboring state senior high school 70 entertain each other after a meeting with Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo on Thursday, the last day of their national exams. (JP/PJ Leo)
The National Police say they will look for foul play in the logistics for the national examinations as some schools reported minor technical problems in implementing the delayed tests in 11 provinces.
A National Police spokesman, Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto, said on Thursday that detectives from the special investigations unit had begun collecting evidence and testimony from witnesses.
'The national exams in many regions have been marred by delays in the delivery of exam materials,' he said. 'We will find out if the delays were only due to technical error or possible criminal acts.'
Agus said police would work with the Inspectorate General of the Education and Culture Ministry in the investigation.
After waiting for three days, more than 1.1 million high school students from 5,109 high schools in 11 of the country's 34 provinces finally took the exams on Thursday.
The students were not able to take the tests on Monday as scheduled after PT Ghalia Indonesia Printing failed to meet its deadline to deliver exam materials.
The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) has filed a report with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), alleging that the contract awarded to PT Ghalia caused state losses of Rp 32 billion (US$3.29 million).
According to FITRA, the firm, which won the tender to supply the exams for the 11 provinces recording delays, won the contract despite reportedly submitting the highest bid.
Education and Culture Minister Mohammad Nuh said that the national examinations were administered in the 11 provinces smoothly, thanks to help from the Indonesian Military (TNI), which deployed aircraft to help distribute exam materials.
However, some regions reported continued logistics problems on Thursday. The national exams organizing committee in Gorontalo, for example, had to use blank paper when answer sheets from PT Ghalia failed to arrive on schedule.
'We were also forced to photocopy question sheets for Anthropology because we did not have an adequate supply,' Asri Arbie, the national exam coordinator in Bone Bolango, Gorontalo, said. Some schools in Bone Bolango started the exams six hours behind schedule, he added.
Similar complaints also came from officials in Boalemo and Pohuwato.
In Makassar, Deputy Education and Culture Minister for Education Musliar Kasim said that administration of the exams on Thursday proceeded largely without incident.
'With the exception of the East Kalimantan province, where the provincial administration decided to completely postpone the national exam for the whole province,' he said.
Local officials denied Musliar's statement, saying that only the math test had been postponed until Friday.
Nurni Sulaiman, Andi Hajramurni and Syamsul Huda MS contributed reporting
