Japanese University Shocked By Real Time Internet Cheating
March 1, 2011
Last week questions from entrance exam to prestigious Kyoto University appeared on a popular website and answers were being received, during the test itself. One or more persons are suspected to have used one handle, "aicezuki," to cheat on tests by posting from cell phones at Kyoto University and three other top universities in Japan.
"This is unprecedented, and we still don't know how exactly it was possible," a spokesman for Kyoto University told the Wall Street Journal.
"It seriously damaged the fairness of and trust in entrance examinations that should be carried out correctly," education minister Yoshiaki Takaki told the AFP. "It was extremely regrettable."
The New York Times reported that Japan's Education Ministry said it may ban cell phones and other devices at test sites. Japan's largest daily, Yomiuri Shimbun, noted that Kobe University asked students to turn off phones and place them in a specially designated area during its second stage of exams. The article also said that some observers believed it would be difficult to prevent all students from bringing devices into test rooms.
Waseda Univeristy in Tokyo, one of the four affected schools, told the New York Times it plans to compare answers posted online to the entrance exams of almost 10,000 applicants to look for matches. "The fairness and justice of our exams are the basis of our institution," Zenta Uchida, a spokesman for Waseda, told the Times.
The scandal has gained national attention because of Japan's intensely competitive academic climate where a degree from a top university is a virtual guarantee of a well-paid position, said the AFP.
The Wall Street Journal speculated that it's possible the cheater and his or her accomplices may have been taking aim at the institutions, as opposed to simply cheating for the academic advantage. "It's kind of insulting," Yosuke Goto, 33, a graduate of Kyoto University told the Wall Street Journal. "I wonder if the real motive was more to cause a stir and watch how people react."
Compiled by Kelly Kingman
Sources:
"Internet Cheating Scandal Shakes Japan Universities" The New York Times, March 1, 2011. Martin Fackler.
"Japan police seek Yahoo! help in exam cheat probe" AFP, March 1, 2011.
"Web exam leak rocks elite school" Yomiuri Shimbun, March 1 2011.
"Internet Cheating Shakes College Exam Faith" Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2011.
