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After technical glitches last year, govt runs computer-based tests for more students
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Students take the computer-based national examination at SMA 70 state senior high school in Jakarta on Monday. Approximately 63,883 high school students in Jakarta took the computer-based national exam on Monday out of 133,961 high school and equivalent-level students. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
Over 1 million vocational school (SMK) students took the computer-based national exams on Monday to curb cheating.
The Culture and Education Ministry said 88.6 percent of 1,327,246 students took the national computer based exams (UNBK).
The ministry prepared the computer-based exams for 3.8 million students at junior high schools and high schools, 49 percent of the total number of students.
The number is far higher than in the two previous years. Only 170,000 students took the computer-based exams during their introduction in 2015, while 921,862 took them last year.
Technical glitches such as blackouts and poor internet connection had hampered the rollout of the computer-based exams.
Minister Muhadjir Effendy said he paid a visit on Monday to Wakatobi regency, Southeast Sulawesi, where students were still taking the paper-based exams.
“We want to see how the national exams are carried out in rural areas. If things run smoothly in the outermost and remote regions, the exams will run smoothly in other areas,” the ministry's education evaluation center head, Nizam, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
“The national exam is the only tool to evaluate the education system,” Muhadjir said in a press statement.
SMK students are taking the national exams from April 3 to 6. (hol/wit)
