Stephanie Riady – This past May the national education minister proudly announced a staggering 99.2 percent passing rate for students taking the national exam. Through a string of recent revelations by parents, catalyzed in Surabaya by whistle-blower and now-famous mother Siami, we now know how this result came to be.
As accounts in recent weeks have highlighted, teacher-induced cheating is rampant within the nation's education system. There are instances of teachers forcing high-achieving students to share answers with their peers, and of giving students answers via cellphone prior to the exam. Some have even read out answers to students during the exam.
So how did some of Indonesia's teachers – who should be the nation's highest role models – turn out to be the biggest cheaters? The answer may be a combination of high-stakes testing and low supervision, taking place in a culture of systemic corruption.
During the national exams, the future of a school and everybody it employs is at stake. Teachers and administrators are under enormous pressure to get students to perform. For one thing, student test scores determine how much extra funding – if any – schools will receive. If students perform well, schools will have more money to spend, and may even boost their chances to be selected as an "RSBI," or exemplary school, entitling them to a Rp 200 million ($23,400) grant and allowing them to charge school fees. Teachers themselves often directly benefit as well, such as through promotions or additional work opportunities.
On top of this, test scores bolster the school's reputation, which becomes a source of pride and a major selling point to attract a larger and more talented pool of students. Low-performing schools, on the other hand, may see enrollment numbers dwindle over time. Mothers like Siami who threaten a school's pride run the risk of being chased by mobs of teachers, parents and students.
While high-stakes testing provides the incentive to cheat, a lack of supervision allows it to take place. The examination process itself is full of loopholes that make cheating possible. Each year, students and teachers still have access to test answers, largely via government insiders who sell them. Teachers can easily give students answers during the exam, or gain access to students' exam papers after they have been handed in. Furthermore, Indonesia lacks any sophisticated statistical or scientific mechanism to detect cheating on the part of teachers.
To make matters worse, in cases where evidence of cheating is found, accountability watchdogs like the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak) have been reluctant to dish out consequences and fire the culprits responsible. Investigation has been slow, guilty teachers have been given second chances and students in the same classroom as cheaters have not been forced to retake the exam. In a country like ours where systemic corruption is prevalent, such measures are crucial to prevent others from repeating the same mistake.
Many teachers, activists and education experts have responded by blaming exams and the undue pressure it places on teachers and students. In their view, the problem lies with the unhealthy nature of exams. But this is as problematic as saying that we should scrap the political system because of corrupt politicians. If recent revelations of teacher-induced cheating says anything, it is that the system needs more, not fewer, accountability measures.
To be sure, there are many ways we can tweak our current education system to reduce the pressure to cheat. One of the strongest criticisms against the national exam is that it imposes one standard of learning for the entire country regardless of obvious differences in quality of education. Alongside this is the criticism that exams detract from the real purpose of education. Since teachers are pressured to have their students do well on the national exam, they teach to the test and focus on rote memorization. Critics call for alternative ways of evaluating students, such as through a portfolio or projects-based model.
Although these concerns are legitimate, a standards-free education system is not an option in a country with more than 32 million students. The government needs an objective and affordable way to measure student progress – and as the experiences of other countries have shown, exams, when crafted rightly, can serve this end well. Educators should embrace it, and authorities should consider new ways of devising accountability measures to ensure that teachers do not end up breeding a new generation of cheaters.
[Stephanie Riady is a graduate of the Teachers College at Columbia University.]