Intelligence body will secure exam material

JAKARTA (JP): The repeated leaking of National Examination (Ebtanas) material has prompted the Ministry of National Education to seek help from the State Intelligence Coordinating Board.

"We will reduce the bureaucracy involved in distributing Ebtanas material and coordinate the printing and security arrangements with the State Intelligence Coordinating Board (BAKIN)," Director General for Primary and Secondary Education Indra Djati Sidi said.

His comments were made on the sidelines of the opening of a national meeting on Ebtanas on Thursday afternoon.

Included in the new procedures would be the design, printing and distribution of exam materials, Indra said.

The process of determining printing companies at the provincial level, and further details of security arrangements, would be discussed with BAKIN.

"In this 2000/2001 Ebtanas, the dummy of the exams material will go directly to the printing house," he said.

"The printed materials will then be sent straight to the schools, unlike previous years in which the papers had to go through the ministry (provincial) office and then to the agency.

"Therefore the possibility of leaks can be avoided altogether."

As well, this year's answers will not be printed and distributed at the same time as the Ebtanas material.

"Learning from past mistakes, the answer key will now be given after the exams are completed," Indra said.

Unlike past years, exam material issued to each province would differ, although the content would be standard.

In the past, several schools reportedly had to annul the exam because of leaked material and hold the test again.

Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin chaired Thursday's meeting on Ebtanas, which involved some 360 education ministerial offices at provincial and regency levels.

A total of Rp 160 billion (US$16 million) is being disbursed to provinces so the Ebtanas fee can be waived for elementary and junior high school students.

According to the ministry, this year there are 6,917,891 elementary and junior high school students undertaking the Ebtanas.

Of that total, 4,191,296 are elementary students.

The previous Ebtanas fee varied from Rp 20,000 to Rp 40,000 across the regions, depending on the cost of materials and production.

The annual test is usually conducted around May.

"With this new arrangement we hope there will be no more levies imposed on the parents," minister Yahya said.

"Stern action, including administrative sanctions, will be imposed on schools or any other personnel collecting such levies."

The total Rp 160 billion Ebtanas fee covers all expenses including the printing process, distribution and honorarium for officials involved in the scheme.

"As for the senior high school students, the fee should be covered by the local administration since the budget has been included in the General Allocation Fund (DAU)," Yahya said.

Certain fees for the regular examination (EBTA), however, would still be imposed as the government did not have adequate funds to waive them.

"The EBTA fee will be varied based on the arrangement with the local office of education and the schools, especially since we have entered the regional autonomy scheme."

The three-day meeting on Ebtanas will also discuss the quality of the test material and the management, control, supervision, security, selection and certification process.

"I do hope that we can set a better standard for our Ebtanas so in the long run the national examination test will receive international recognition," Yahya said. (edt)