A lawmaker plans to ask the Supreme Audit Agency to examine the Education and Culture Ministry'€™s national exam budget of  Rp 600 billion (U$61 million) following the postponement of exams in 11 provinces due to printing delays.

 '€œTechnically the cause for this delay could be anything. But we need to know what the audit says, from a budget perspective. We are talking about a lot of money here,'€ education commission chief Asman Abnur said Monday.

He criticized the Ministry for failing to organize the exam properly.  '€œThe government knows that students prepared hard for the exam. Some have recited '€˜istighotsah'€™ (call for help) prayers while studying,'€ he said.

Asman suggested a committee should investigate the mess. He said legislators had visited a number of schools in Batam to check on preparations and during the exam.

Even further, he added, the lawmakers have discussed removing the exam from the education agenda.

'€œThis hasn'€™t been decided, but based on informal meetings, all factions agree that the exams should be ended,'€ said Abnur.

The exam is widely seen as inefficient, but the government insists that it is the only way to determine whether a student passes or fails.(asw/dic)