Crackdown on people 'jockeying' test for dishonest students<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The organizing committee of the state university
\nentrance test (UMPTN) will apply a special method to minimize the
\nrole of jockeys, people who are paid to take the tests in the
\nnames of aspiring students.<\/p>\n
Rector of the University of Indonesia M.K. Tadjudin told
\nreporters yesterday that as the chief UMPTN coordinator for
\nregion A, he has arranged to prevent this form of cheating.<\/p>\n
Tadjudin refused to elaborate on his plans though, saying that
\ndisclosure would only enable jockeys to improve their chances.<\/p>\n
Region A covers 17 state universities in all of Sumatra
\nprovinces, Jakarta and West Java.<\/p>\n
He added that in order to ensure the integrity of the test,
\n8,691 people, including 434 policemen and 150 \"secret\" officials,
\nwill be employed to monitor them. The latter's duties will
\ninclude guarding the test during transportation from the
\ncommittee's headquarters to the test sites. The examination will
\ntake place on June 21 and June 22.<\/p>\n
According to Tadjudin, the University of Indonesia (UI) found
\ntwo students who used the services of jockey for the 1993 UMPTN.
\nHowever, with the new control system he expects to reduce the
\nfigure to zero.<\/p>\n
Soesmalijah Soewondo, who led UMPTN's coordinating committee
\nfor Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post that some jockeys receive the
\nsupport from powerful figures.<\/p>\n
\"Its organized crime,\" she added.<\/p>\n
The UMPTN is managed and supervised by the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture. As Indonesia's most prestigious exam, it
\nis designed to select outstanding high school graduates
\nthroughout the country for entry at 45 state universities.<\/p>\n
For the last three years approximately 450,000 students have
\ntaken the test. They have competed for around 60,000 seats in the
\nstate universities.<\/p>\n
Reference<\/p>\n
The limited number of seats at state-run universities is
\npartly the result of powerful figures using their influence to
\nreserves spots at state universities for their children or
\nrelatives.<\/p>\n
However, Tadjudin stressed that UI, one of the most
\nprestigious campuses in the country, will not select its student
\nbody based on social status or katebeletje (reference letters
\nissued by powerful figures). He emphasized that UI has never
\nallotted seats for the rich, famous and powerful.<\/p>\n
The UI campus played a major role in ousting the Old Order led
\nby the late president Sukarno in 1965. Currently, UI is also the
\ncampus of choice for the children of either high ranking
\nofficials or business tycoons.<\/p>\n
Tadjudin also said the number of UMPTN applicants has
\ndecreased in the past few years, from 479,669 in 1991 to 436,517
\nin 1992. The number went lower to 422,696 last year.<\/p>\n
Of those who took the test in 1993, only 14.5 percent or
\n61,069 students, passed. Tadjudin added that the committee will
\nonly take 61,578 students this year.<\/p>\n
According to Tadjudin, the decrease is due partly to the fact
\nthat more people want to study subjects not available at the
\nstate university. Another factor is the improvement in the
\nquality of some private universities aside from the fact that
\nmore and more people are \"realistic\" enough to not take the test
\nas they realize that they will not pass.<\/p>\n
Despite the lower number of aspiring students, the
\nparticipants from the greater Jakarta area increased from 65,026
\nin 1992 to 75,000 this year.<\/p>\n
Braille<\/p>\n
Tadjudin, who was accompanied by the rector of the Jakarta
\nTeacher's Training Institute (IKIP), Anna Suhaenah Suparno, said
\nthat this year the committee has arranged a Braille examination
\nsheet for the blind.<\/p>\n
Tadjudin explained that the use of Braille was initiated after
\nEducation and Culture Minister Wardiman Djojonegoro visited the
\nexam locations for the blinds last year.<\/p>\n
\"He saw that an impractical method was applied for the blind
\napplicants, in which they were accompanied by an assistant to
\nread the examination for them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the committee has purchased a special printer for
\nUS$10,000 to produce the exam in Braille.<\/p>\n
Tadjudin also announced that starting today, all UMPTN
\nparticipants in Jakarta can pay the exam fees, which range from
\nRp 25,000 ($11.6) to Rp 40,000 ($18.5) at Bank BNI. On June 6 the
\nparticipants can obtain the UMPTN forms by showing the bank
\nreceipts to the local exam committees. The deadline for
\napplications is June 17.(03)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/crackdown-on-people-jockeying-test-for-dishonest-students-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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