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Algeria turns off internet for high school exams

Quote:

Algeria has turned off its internet nationwide during high school exams in a bid to tackle cheating. Internet service, both mobile and fixed line, will go off for an hour after the start of each high school diploma exam to stop any leaks. Blackouts will continue throughout the exam season, from 20-25 June.

The move follows widespread cheating in 2016, with questions leaked online before and during tests. As a result, the authorities asked internet service providers to stop social media access last year, but the voluntary measures were not enough.

Education Minister Nouria Benghabrit told Algerian newspaper Annahar that Facebook would be blocked across the country throughout the entire period.

Additionally, all electronic devices with internet access - for both students and school staff - have been banned from the country's 2,000 exam halls, with metal detectors set up at their entrances.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44557028

That will be interesting knowing if they do as good w/o the net to help them!

Yes, I was thinking the same.

Some related articles from a newsletter I get.

Quote:

Algeria shut the Internet down nationwide to prevent high-school students from cheating on their exams.

The solution in New South Wales, Australia was to ban smartphones.

EDITED TO ADD (6/22): Slashdot thread.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...g-school-exams
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-0...-cards/9893186
https://news.slashdot.org/story/18/0...-from-cheating

No protests from non-student users (which includes not only regular citizens having ADSL, but also companies... a country without internet access, even if for a few days only, takes a huge risk economically as some employers could be de facto not functioning)

Why not just ban smartphones from exam rooms?