Distribution of exam materials for junior high schools tightened

Andi Hajramurni and Desy Nurhayati ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Makassar, Jakarta   |  Tue, 05/06/2008 10:54 AM  |  The Archipelago

Makassar's education office has tightened security around the distribution of junior high school exam materials in response to recent cases where senior high school exam materials were leaked.

The Makassar Education Office in South Sulawesi has changed the distribution mechanism for the four-day exams, which are currently being held nationwide starting Monday.

The Jakarta Post observed that many schools in Makassar had their exam rooms watched by two supervisors from other schools and had two police officers on guard outside the room.

To prevent leaks, the materials were distributed on the day of the exams by police officers.

Security is tighter now to help avoid the recent leaks from happening again, Muhammad Nasir Azis, head of Makassar's education office, said.

"We have intensified supervision to ensure the exams run smoothly without any major hindrances," he said.

In Jakarta, Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo conducted impromptu visits to several middle schools in West Jakarta and Tangerang, Banten, on Monday.

"After observing some schools, I did not see any violations that might hurt the exams' credibility," Bambang said.

"There was a minor breach of procedure, but it was not a fatal mistake hurting the exam's credibility."

The police have supervised security to avoid cheating practices such as leaked papers and teachers modifying students' answers occurring, he said. Both violations occurred during the high school exams two weeks ago.

Considering such violations, he said, "On the one hand, we want to punish those who breach the rules and penalize them with criminal and administrative sanctions.

"But on the other hand, we have to protect those who are innocent, like the students whose answers were modified by their teachers. We don't want them to be the victims."

The number of junior high school students participating in the national exams has reached 19,720, according Makassar's education office data.

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