South Korean exam scandal

Learning English - Words in the News   06 December, 2004 - Published 15:27 GMT   South Korean exam scandal

More than eighteen hundred South Korean school students are suspected of taking part in an organised cheating operation during university entrance exams. The police say many of the students used mobile phones to send and receive answers to exam questions. This report from Charles Scanlon: Listen to the story The revelations of mass cheating havescandaliseda nation where education is an obsession - and entry to a good university canset you up for life.Acting ona tip off- the police tried to raid a hall where students were taking the college entrance exam last month. They were blocked by teachers but laterconfiscatedmobile phones that had been smuggled into the room - and uncovered what they said was an elaborate cheating system. Thebrighteststudents known as "players" finished their multiple choice papers quickly then sent off the answers by text message to younger students outside the hall. They forwarded the information to others who paid up to a thousand dollars to take part. The police have since inspected hundreds of thousands of text messages sent at the time of the exam. They say more than eighteen hundred students appear to have been involved in similarscamsacross the country. The education ministry has already cancelled the exam results of more than two hundred cheaters. Some are calling for tough penalties. They've condemnedlaxityby exam monitors who are accused of not taking cheating seriously enough in the past. Others are calling foran overhaul ofthe entire exam system - saying it puts students underintolerable pressure. Charles Scanlon, BBC, Seoul Listen to the words scandalised shocked and stunned set you up for life guarantee that you will get a good job in the future a tip off a piece of information given to the police about something illegal that is going to happen confiscated took away brightest most intelligent scams clever but illegal plans, usually to make money laxity relaxed attitudes, not strict an overhaul of a complete change intolerable pressure pressure that is too strong to be reasonable   <출처 : BBC>