Agency calls score buying 'appalling'

Agency calls score buying 'appalling'

JAKARTA (JP): The Agency for Pancasila Propagation has
expressed deep concern over reports that many teachers in Bekasi
sold high marks to parents who want their children admitted to
prestigious schools.

The agency's chief R. Soeprapto told Antara yesterday that the
conspiracy involving school teachers, headmasters and parents to
jack-up students' final scores is "appalling".

Soeprapto said that problem stems from parents anxious to get
their children, whose actual academic proficiency is highly
questionable, admitted to prominent schools.

"Those parents serve their ego and don't care whether their
children will be able to follow their classes in the new school,"
said Soeprapto, who is a former expert staff member at the
ministry of education and culture.

Buying final scores is reportedly common at several junior and
senior schools in Bekasi.

The trend, Soeprapto said, is the result of rapid development
which has widened the gap between the rich and the poor.

"Teachers are among those who have not benefited from the
rapid economic development," he said.

He added that the existing public schools cannot accommodate
the increasing number of graduates from lower level schools,
making competition even tighter.

The scam was revealed shortly after school registration for
the new term beginning July 17 closed on June 30. Anomalies
included unbelievable high marks and inconsistency between final
exam scores and semester reports.

Antara reported that some teachers approached parents, saying
they could help children get higher marks for an agreed-upon sum
of money. In other cases, parents approached the teachers to make
the same deal.

One parent was guaranteed by a teacher that his son would be
admitted to a popular state junior high school for Rp 400,000
(US$180).

"My son's final score was only 43.46 while the particular
school sets the minimum score at 45.88. This teacher told me it
would be okay if I could pay him Rp 400,000," the parent said.

Another parent claimed that he had to pay a Rp 600,000 bribe
to get his son admitted to a state junior high school in Bekasi.
"My son's score was only 35.8 and I was told I had to pay Rp
600,000 to cover it up," he said.

The latter said he "could not understand" why his son's score
was so low because the student is well known for his various
academic achievements at school.

"I protested to the local (Bekasi) office of education (over
the low score) but they didn't take my report seriously," the
parent said.

One Bekasi school has become the butt of jokes because many of
its students have received final marks above 46, even though only
five subjects, each with a maximum score of 10, were tested.
(pan)