Shanghai schools serious about cheating ( 2004-01-12 16:28) (eastday.com)
Apparently, local education
authorities are serious about cutting down on cheating on important
examinations, such as the National Postgraduate School Entrance Exam held over
the weekend.
One student learned the hard way when his cell phone rang during the test,
earning him an immediate disqualification.
The student, whose name was not disclosed, was applying to enter an MBA
program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He failed to follow clear instructions
to switch off all telecom devices.
Last December, the Ministry of Education announced that anyone taking a
mobile phone or beeper into an exam would be kicked out immediately.
"The new regulation was made to guarantee a fair examination environment and
prevent any possible cheating behavior," said Shen Benliang, deputy director of
the Shanghai Educational Examination Authority. He said that the problem of
students using phones and beepers to cheat on tests has become rampant
throughout the country.
Proctors at nine exam centers around the city are also taking extra steps to
check the identity of all examinees to prevent anyone from having a friend sit
important tests for them, Shen added.
Competition to enter graduate schools is increasing rapidly as a growing
number of students apply to programs after failing to find a decent job. Last
year, a record 85,000 students applied to enter graduate school in Shanghai, a
7.7 percent increase over 2002.
Most of the applicants are recent university graduates, with about 75 percent
of them coming from outside the city, according to education authorities.
"Since finding a good job is more and more difficult for university students,
especially for us migrants, I would rather choose to continue my studies to
better prepare for my future job-hunt," said Ni Na, a university student from
Sichuan Province.
A recent survey of students at Shanghai University and Donghua University
indicated that nearly 54 percent of university students applied for postgraduate
programs because they were worried about not being able to find a decent
job.
