40,000 Kuwaiti students were caught cheating on exams in total

 
 
 

A huge surprise has emerged as a result of ongoing investigations into leaking high school exam papers. The initial information, the statements of the accused, and the Ministry of Interior records revealed that about 40,000 students of the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades were involved in cheating. The cheating case has taken on a new legal dimension, according to informed sources. A number of evidence was submitted to the Public Prosecution, including in-ear phones seized from students, and conversations between employees of the Ministry of Education, who facilitated the leaking of exam papers for some secondary subjects, and those who administered “collective fraud groups” for profit.

According to the defendants' confessions, they had gained about KD 3 million from "cheating groups" and secondary school exam paper leaks within two weeks. Each student who entered the “group” paid KD 60 to KD 70 in advance to those in charge of the leakage. There are other groups that got about KD 150 for one subject.

The Public Prosecution ordered the arrest and arraignment of six new suspects, bringing the total number of defendants to 26, with crimes attributed to them ranging from fraud facilitation to money laundering by illegally obtaining funds. The sources stressed that the entry of millions of dinars into the balances of the test takers during this short period requires a decisive pause, as it confirms the presence of huge numbers of the new generation who have mastered cheating.

The Ministry of Education is also continuously coordinating with the Ministry of Interior, the Public Prosecution, and the judicial authorities. Those authorities requested that the Ministry of Education provide them with a mechanism for conducting tests, which includes working in the secret printing press and transferring the question papers for each subject to the examination committees. All details and the mechanism used for setting tests, printing questions, and transferring them were provided to the Public Prosecution by the ministry.

The source indicated that the Ministry of Education is awaiting an official letter from the Public Prosecution and the Ministry of Interior with the names of those accused in the case of cheating and leaking high school exam papers, which is considered a "national security" issue because it affects future generations.

The students involved in cheating and dealing with the groups will be summoned to give testimony. This situation can be handled in five steps:

- Keeping cheaters at bay requires coordination between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior

- Test questions must be protected from leakage by a strict mechanism

- Cheaters should face stiffer penalties

- Examining the final grade holders despite their poor performance

- Students and parents should be educated about the seriousness of cheating and imaginary success

According to sources, the Ministry of Education will scrutinize any student suspected of cheating or achieving imaginary excellence. The university is also considering issuing a new regulation to prevent cheating during the second semester exams. Penalties will be toughened for students involved, teachers who facilitate cheating, committee supervisors, or anyone else involved in the educational process who facilitates the crime. Sources revealed that the accusation circle in the case of cheating and leaking tests has expanded significantly, indicating that new defendants may be summoned for their involvement in leaking test questions and helping cheating students and those seeking easy success.

 
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IFL  - Kuwait 2024