Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Ombudsman of South Sumatra Province has discovered alleged fraud in the merit-based selection process for new student admissions (PPDB) for high schools (SMA) in 2024.
M. Adrian, the Head of the South Sumatra Ombudsman, reported that dozens of prospective students who should have been accepted were instead rejected by schools.
"From our clarification, almost 80 percent of the students who should have passed were declared not passing," Adrian said in a video posted on the South Sumatra Ombudsman's Instagram on Monday, June 17, 2024.
Adrian initially stated that the Ombudsman received dozens of reports alleging irregularities in the merit-based selection of PPDB in South Sumatra. According to the complainants, the selection process lacked transparency and was not conducted professionally.
Adrian cited an example from a parent of a student. A student who ranked first in junior high school (SMP) was declared unsuccessful by the school despite having a verification score of 750. Meanwhile, another student with a score of 350 was declared passing the PPDB. "This raises questions for parents and students," Adrian remarked.
The parent was also unable to see their child's scores. The announcement via the application only showed the results without displaying the students' scores. Additionally, the announcement did not include the scores of other students.
"Despite earlier warnings from the Ombudsman about the importance of transparency in the announcement of results, the announcement did not show who passed and their scores," Adrian explained.
Adrian conducted verifications on these reports, and the results confirmed that 80 percent of the complaints were valid. Students who should have passed were declared as not passing.
"Therefore, we will investigate the potential maladministration in the PPDB process and the merit-based selection in South Sumatra," Adrian stated.
In light of these findings, the Ombudsman has requested the South Sumatra Department of Education and schools to postpone the announcement and re-registration for the merit-based PPDB route in Palembang City. The postponement will be in effect until the South Sumatra Ombudsman provides recommendations for improvements.