TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The buying and selling of degrees and the use of fake academic credentials are serious crimes. Those responsible for the printing and selling, as well as the buyers, must be penalized. All the benefits they have obtained from these fake certificates, such as promotions, remuneration or postings must be revoked. It does not matter if they are elected representatives, police officers, company managers, regional chief executives or university officials.

The police must immediately launch an investigation to follow-up on the report revealed by the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry. There must strict oversight on the implementation of the order from the empowerment of state institutions and bureaucratic reforms minister to recheck the validity of degree certificates held by civil servants. This instruction must not become a new opportunity for deals to be made to avoid penalties, which end in money changing hands.

The investigation must not only be aimed at the illegal forgery of degrees, but at the system of issuing such certificates by official institutions that have too readily handed out degrees, including to those who do not deserve them.

There must be stricter oversight and standardization of universities and other higher education institutions. The government must not hesitate to punish institutions that do not take this seriously, if necessary by revoking their licenses. It is also important to conduct reforms within the higher education ministry. The widespread buying and selling of degrees shows the weakness of oversight in the education system. It is not impossible that this rotten practice is intentionally being allowed to continue in return for money because institutions selling qualifications operate openly, such as placing ads with varying prices for different degrees.

As written on the certificates, bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees should be a sign and a recognition that a person is qualified in his or her specific field. Only students who pass the final examination of their work free of plagiarism have the right to receive them. Even honoris causa, or honorary degrees, should not be sold, particularly without any consideration to seeking and developing knowledge.

All forms of faking and manipulation of degrees in awarding academic titles are a betrayal of the education system, in which the principle of honesty is paramount. Those who muddy the waters by obtaining degrees without the proper process damage their own authority and deceive themselves. They deserve no respect. This rotten practice is harmful and unfair to those people who worked hard in their studies and on their dissertation to achieve recognition for their efforts in the form of a degree.

The public needs to learn not to be dazzled by letters before and after people's names. It is time to discard this type of 'feudalism'. Selection of officials, determination of salary and grade levels and postings, must be based on competency. Integrity and professionalism must be the measure on track records, not on number of qualifications, especially if these have been obtained improperly. (*)