While the government is expecting junior high schools to hold computer-based national exams, many schools in Medan, North Sumatra, are still using paper and pencils for this year’s exams that began on Monday.

SMP 8 state junior high school's principal Muslim Lubis said his school was struggling to provide students with computers because of a lack of equipment and an unstable internet connection. Moreover, the school’s students had limited experience in using computers, he went on.

“We really want to hold a computer-based national exam in our school, but the [computer] facilities are inadequate, so we have to do it in a conventional way,” Muslim told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Muslim said many other private junior high schools were also holding paper-based exams. They include SMP Muhammadiyah 1, SMP PGRI 4, SMP Al Ulum, SMP Musda, SMP Indonesia Membangun, SMP MMA UISU and SMP Muhammadiyah Sukaramai, all in Medan.

Junior high schools in the cluster served 1,036 students this year, Muslim said.

He assured that although the schools were still using paper-based exams, there would be no leakage of exam papers because of strict supervision put in place.

National exams for junior high school students are being held simultaneously across Indonesia from April 23 to 26. The four subjects being tested are Indonesian, English, math and natural sciences. (hol/ebf)