One day ahead of the final national tests for senior high school students, a teachers’ community found on Sunday exam papers on sale for up to Rp 5 million (US$549).
Deni B. Saragih, chairman of the Air Mata Guru Community in Medan, North Sumatra, said the finding was based on the community’s survey of a number of senior high school students set to take part in the national exam scheduled to start Monday across the country and end on March 26.
“We are still looking for those responsible for the leak in the national examination papers,” Saragih said Sunday.
Saragih added such a leak was not a novelty as the same practices had been there for years. Only, he said, it had worsened this year as his community had found that schools were involved in the practice.
The alleged involvement, he said, was mostly triggered by the schools’ ambition to help their students pass the exam in a bid to maintain their good image as well as help the students deal cope with the stress.
“We are preparing a team of volunteers to help monitor the national examinations at the schools.”
Responding to the alleged leak, head of Medan municipal Education Agency Hasan Basri expressed
hope both the students and parents would not be easily provoked, arguing his office would take firm action against anyone involved in dirty practices.
“We have ordered our surveillance officers to take stern actions against anyone committing any deceit,” Hasan said.
More than 23,400 senior high school students of 169 schools are to take part in the national exam in Medan. This excludes 14,700 students of 122 senior vocational high schools who will start their national exam the same day.
Separately in Yogyakarta, in a bid to help prevent the national exam from possible cheating, the provincial Education Agency in cooperation with local tertiary education institutions has installed special officials to monitor the exam.
“We are prioritizing fairness in the national exam, in line with this year’s theme, ‘fairness and quality’,” said head of Yogyakarta national exam executing body, Baskara Aji.
He said the special officials placed at the schools were in response the concern expressed by schools, teachers, students and parents regarding fairness during the exam.
The officials have the authority to interfere should they find anything suspicious during the exam.
“Having these special officials deployed hopefully means the exam will run smoothly,” Baskara said.
Unfairness, Baskara said, had often marred national exams in Yogyakarta, adding such practices were not done systematically but mostly by individuals, like a teacher who was found helping students to do the exam or allowing them to cheat.
To help minimize cheating, he continued, this year’s exam papers would be distributed to the exam working group the day of the exam.
Each subject would be differentiated into A and B exam papers in which students sit next to the other would be given different papers, making it difficult to cheat.
As many as 49,000 students from senior high schools and vocational high schools will take part in the exam, scheduled to start Monday.
Deni B. Saragih, chairman of the Air Mata Guru Community in Medan, North Sumatra, said the finding was based on the community’s survey of a number of senior high school students set to take part in the national exam scheduled to start Monday across the country and end on March 26.
“We are still looking for those responsible for the leak in the national examination papers,” Saragih said Sunday.
Saragih added such a leak was not a novelty as the same practices had been there for years. Only, he said, it had worsened this year as his community had found that schools were involved in the practice.
The alleged involvement, he said, was mostly triggered by the schools’ ambition to help their students pass the exam in a bid to maintain their good image as well as help the students deal cope with the stress.
“We are preparing a team of volunteers to help monitor the national examinations at the schools.”
Responding to the alleged leak, head of Medan municipal Education Agency Hasan Basri expressed
hope both the students and parents would not be easily provoked, arguing his office would take firm action against anyone involved in dirty practices.
“We have ordered our surveillance officers to take stern actions against anyone committing any deceit,” Hasan said.
More than 23,400 senior high school students of 169 schools are to take part in the national exam in Medan. This excludes 14,700 students of 122 senior vocational high schools who will start their national exam the same day.
Separately in Yogyakarta, in a bid to help prevent the national exam from possible cheating, the provincial Education Agency in cooperation with local tertiary education institutions has installed special officials to monitor the exam.
“We are prioritizing fairness in the national exam, in line with this year’s theme, ‘fairness and quality’,” said head of Yogyakarta national exam executing body, Baskara Aji.
He said the special officials placed at the schools were in response the concern expressed by schools, teachers, students and parents regarding fairness during the exam.
The officials have the authority to interfere should they find anything suspicious during the exam.
“Having these special officials deployed hopefully means the exam will run smoothly,” Baskara said.
Unfairness, Baskara said, had often marred national exams in Yogyakarta, adding such practices were not done systematically but mostly by individuals, like a teacher who was found helping students to do the exam or allowing them to cheat.
To help minimize cheating, he continued, this year’s exam papers would be distributed to the exam working group the day of the exam.
Each subject would be differentiated into A and B exam papers in which students sit next to the other would be given different papers, making it difficult to cheat.
As many as 49,000 students from senior high schools and vocational high schools will take part in the exam, scheduled to start Monday.
