Police to probe examination scam

BANDUNG: City police say they are prepared to investigate allegations that school administrators and teachers have been "fixing" the grades awarded in relation to the national elementary school final examinations in return for money from parents.

Bandung Police Col. Didi Widayadi said, however, that to date no formal complaint had been filed with his office regarding the allegations, which have been widely reported in the press.

Didi said that tampering with examination results was a crime. He said that police would launch an investigation as soon as members of the public had formally lodged a complaint with them.

High scores in the final elementary school examinations guarantee pupils automatic admission to the city's top secondary schools.

Many parents have complained that their children have been denied admission because they lost out to those who bought their marks from certain schools. (emb)