Vietnam to Install Surveillance Cameras at Key National Exam Sites to Prevent Cheating

The Vietnamese government is set to mandate the installation of surveillance cameras at key national exam sites to combat cheating. This initiative aims to enhance monitoring through technology and detect irregularities via data analysis. The Ministry of Education and Training will be responsible for developing a roadmap for the implementation, ensuring investment efficiency, data security, and privacy protection. The ministry is also tasked with establishing a data analysis mechanism to identify anomalies in exam results and proactively investigate potential cases of fraud. Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau emphasized the need for a focused approach to technological monitoring, avoiding scattered investments. He also stressed the importance of continuously updating methods of cheating, especially concerning the use of high-tech devices, and providing unified guidance across the education sector. Exam regulations, inspection, and evaluation procedures will be reviewed and amended to fully recognize fraudulent activities and strictly penalize violations. Educational institutions will be required to clearly communicate prohibited behaviors, consequences, and responsibilities to students before each academic term and examination. Guidance on the acceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in learning and assessment will also be provided. The Ministry of Public Security, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Justice, will review existing legal sanctions and propose amendments to enhance deterrence. Deputy Prime Minister Chau also called for clear accountability from leadership. Ministers, provincial People's Committee chairpersons, heads of educational institutions, and exam supervisors will be held responsible for serious cheating incidents stemming from lax management, failure to follow procedures, or delayed responses to alerted irregularities within their purview. The Ministry of Education and Training acknowledged that exam supervision in some areas has been lax, and essay grading has had shortcomings, with some academic transcripts not reflecting actual performance. Inspection and monitoring in certain locations have not been fully effective in preventing and detecting violations, while the risk of cheating using high-tech devices is growing. In response, the ministry proposed installing additional surveillance cameras, tightening the selection, deployment, and management of exam personnel, and strictly punishing violators. Changes to inspection and monitoring methods are also suggested to enable timely detection and resolution of wrongdoing. The push for stricter exam supervision follows several cheating scandals in this year's high school graduation exams. In early July, irregularities were discovered at a test site at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted after unusual scores in the mathematics exam. Out of 328 candidates, 146 scored 10, and 299 scored 9 or above, with an average score of 9.58, the highest nationwide. Investigators have initially identified Tran Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Head of Nguyen Van Huyen High School, who served as the head of the test site at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, as having directed and guided some invigilators to facilitate candidates during the math exam. Teacher Nguyen Ha Duy later entered exam rooms and directly assisted some students. On July 17, the Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security took over the case of abuse of position and power during the performance of duties at this test site from the Tuyen Quang Provincial Police for further investigation under its authority. In Quang Tri province, in early August, the Department of Education and Training canceled the results of all high school graduation exams for five students from Le Truc High School due to cheating, including the principal's child. The decision was made following an investigation by the Provincial Police. Information source: VnExpress