The number of British school pupils trying to cheat in public examinations, many by smuggling cell phones into the exam hall, rose last year. According to official statistics out on Wednesday, penalties for what is formally known as exam malpractice rose by 6 per cent.
More than 4,400 penalties were issued to students, and there was a jump of 29 per cent in the number handed out to teaching staff at examination centres. Penalties to staff were up from 68 to 88, according to exams regulator for England and Wales Ofqual, with those for helping students cheat increasing to 58.
The most common type of cheating by pupils was bringing in unauthorised material — mainly phones and other electronic communication devices they could use to access the internet or look up stored information.
Other banned items being sneaked into the exam hall included calculators, dictionaries or study guides. Some 1,897 penalties were given in this area — up 8 per cent on the year before. The number of penalties to school or other exam centres was up 35 per cent . — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2010
