High school examinations running smoothly<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The state-run final examinations for senior high
\nschools (SMA) in the city, which began two days ago, are running
\nsmoothly, officials reported.<\/p>\n
\"The exams have been proceeding as expected,\" Zainal Arifin
\nAchmadi, the director general of elementary and intermediate
\neducation of the Ministry of Education and Culture, told The
\nJakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
Zainal made the remark during his inspecting visit to the
\nprivately-run Islamic SMA Al Azhar, South Jakarta, after having
\ninspected SMA 6 Mahakam, SMA 70 Bulungan and SMA 46, three state-
\nrun senior high schools in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Zainal's visit was part of a South Jakarta tour made by three
\ninspecting teams from the Directorate General of Elementary and
\nIntermediate Education and the Jakarta Office of the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture.<\/p>\n
Zainal implied that no examination questions have been leaked
\nor sold to students, as has frequently occurred in the past.<\/p>\n
Commenting on cases of state examination materials being sold
\nto senior high school students a few years ago, Zainal said the
\nroot of the problem lies in exam questions being photocopied,
\nespecially because \"those who reproduce the questions are not our
\npeople.\"<\/p>\n
Zainal's opinion was supported by Nannies Wiryoatmodjo, an
\ninspector from the city office of the Ministry of Education and
\nCulture. \"The source of the leakage lies in the hands of those
\ninvolved in the printing of the examination materials,\" Nannies
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Source<\/p>\n
Another possible source of leakage, according to Nasichin, a
\ndivisional head of the directorate general, could be if exam
\nquestions are sold by school officers who transport them from the
\nministry to their schools.<\/p>\n
However, this is considered highly unlikely by Jajoek
\nMasroeriah Assaat, the principal of SMA 6, who is supervising
\nthis year's state exams in 28 schools in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The principal of the school, accompanied by at least one
\nstaff member, is the only one authorized to receive the exam
\nquestions,\" Jajoek said, adding that all school staff who are
\ninvolved in administering the state exams are required to sign a
\nstatement that they will not deliberately disclose any question
\nor part of a question to any parties.<\/p>\n
Jajoek said, each morning between five and six, school
\nprincipals are required to accept exam questions to be used for
\nthat day only.<\/p>\n
Hiring the service of the police is another measure to secure
\nthe secrecy of the questions.<\/p>\n
\"The exam materials, which came here on May 1, are kept in a
\nroom, guarded around the clock by two policemen,\" Rafli Rusli,
\nthe principal of SMA 68 in Central Jakarta, told the Post.<\/p>\n
Ismeth AH, the deputy principal of SMA 4 in Central Jakarta,
\nwhich also hires the police's service to help secure exam
\nquestions, said schools are allowed to ask for police assistance
\nduring the examination periods.<\/p>\n
Measures<\/p>\n
When asked what measures are being taken to prevent such
\nleakages, Zainal said different questions are given to different
\ngroups of students in examination areas called \"rayon.\"<\/p>\n
For this year's state exams, Jakarta is divided into 13
\nexamination areas, two in Central Jakarta, one in North Jakarta,
\ntwo in West Jakarta, four in South Jakarta and another four in
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Should any leakage occur, we can quickly identify and locate
\nthe most likely source of the leakage, Zainal said.<\/p>\n
And to anticipate such a leakage, the ministry has prepared
\nsix substitute exams which can be immediately used to replace
\nexam questions which are found to have been sold to students,
\nNasichin added.<\/p>\n
Another measure is the students' names are being replaced by
\ncodes so it is impossible for correctors to identify the students
\nwhose answer sheets they are correcting, Jajoek said.<\/p>\n
To enhance objectivity during correction, at least two
\nteachers are required to correct the answers, Jajoek said, adding
\nthat the answer sheets are distributed at random to teachers for
\ncorrection.<\/p>\n
A total of 58,663 students in Jakarta are at present taking
\nthe nationwide state-run examinations for senior high schools,
\nwhich will continue until the end of this week. (06)<\/p>",
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