The difficulty of writing up a thesis faced by many students has led to the rise of thesis writing and consultation services, such as one found in Jalan Waru, Rawamangun, East Jakarta, Friday (6/10). Thesis writing services under the label of consultation and data processing assistants are nowadays more commonly found online.
Unsettled at the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry, the issue of plagiarism and mal-administration is finally brought to the House of Representatives (DPR).
Commission X of the House on education, youth affairs, sports, tourism, arts and culture held a hearing with the non-active dean Jakarta State University, Djaali, and a representative of the civitas academica of Manado State University, Hannie Massie.
We support Commission X\'s measures to investigate several problems in the universities that have recently come to light. Ranging from the plagiarism, fictitious titles, thesis jockeys (thesis writers for hire) and controversies in giving honoris causa doctorate titles, these issues illustrate the current face of our educational institutions.
We hope this phenomenon occurs only in several Indonesian universities. However, because the cases have been made public and cannot be easily settled, they will only exacerbate the ubiquitously critical view of our education system.
The Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry should settle the matter by conducting a thorough investigation, knowing the actual situation and giving sanctions if violations are found. If the ministry does not find any problems, it must reveal its findings in a transparent manner.
The longer the problem is neglected, which was the case with Jakarta State University and Manado State University, it will increasingly undermine the credibility of Indonesia’s universities and the credibility of the government itself.
Moreover, should the findings be politicized, the situation will become increasingly murky and distrust will rise.
The integrity of universities is critical in improving our education system. Honesty is something that cannot be purchased. The rampant practices of so-called thesis jockeys show the “instant” culture of the Indonesian people, who want everything done for them quickly and through the path of least resistance.
They prioritize academic titles, regardless of how the academic process takes place; the feel proud of their many academic titles even though the public knows that the titles were not truly earned.
Plagiarism is a plague in the science world; it hurts the noble value of education. With the mental revolution jargon, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister M. Nasir are expected to settle the issues afflicting our universities as soon as possible.
Don\'t ever turn academic titles into commodities. The mental revolution in the education system is currently facing increasing criticism. What will our education become if it is always marked by scandals that hurt the value of honesty?
