It’s hard to imagine how two days could be any more nerve-racking for a high-school student than June 7 and 8 will be for seniors in China. During those days, the nation will hold its college entrance exams, and the competition will be stiff: Over 9 million people will take the tests, but only about a quarter of those students will be declared eligible for college enrollment.
With such a slim margin for error, it should hardly be surprising that the exams have been marred, in recent years, by cheating scandals. Last year 1,700 students were caught violating exam rules, including a number who sought answers during the test on their cellphones.
But this year — as part of a broader effort to clean up China’s academic reputation — many exam halls will be scrambling cellphone signals and using policemen as proctors. The nation’s Education Ministry has asked test centers using the scrambling devices to demonstrate that the tools won’t harm anyone’s health. (Associated Press)
