Only Virgin Students Are Allowed To Write School Exams

The Municipal Council of Jember, a town in Indonesia located in the Province of East Java, with a population of about 300.000 inhabitants, is subjecting high school girls to virginity test. Local media in the country have reported on this issue. If the control would prove positive, then they will go in for the exams, but if it is proven negative, they might not have the opportunity to sit for the end of year certificate examinations.

According to authorities, this measure is primarily intended to curb sexual relations before marriage amongst young people in the community. The data collected earlier from local hospitals showed that nearly 10% of HIV/AIDS infected patients are students particularly in the town of Jember. Habib Isa Mahdid, a member of parliament of the People’s Conscience Party in the Jakarta Globe, maintains that irresponsible sex behaviours are rampant amongst students. He explains: “The most surprising thing is that, school students have sex several times and with different partners before they complete school”. The official said virginity test were also implemented as part of the fight against pornography. Another member of parliament of the Muslim National Awakening Party, Mufti Ali, on his part says he wish to extend the measure to the entire province and only virgin–girls should sit in for end of year certificate exams. Hear Mufti: “If they are not virgins, they will not be allowed to write and pass the exam. Virginity should be a condition for obtaining the High School Certificate and this should become a regional regulation”.