What impression does a veteran have of anti-cheating security measures during the college entrance examination, such as cell phone jammer and metal detectors? One place has adopted a more powerful form of signal blocking for the gaokao, even across the country.
According to the BBC, June 20, solstice, 25 is the time for graduation exams for high schools in Algeria. During that time, social networks across the country will be shut down for an hour after the test begins to prevent leaks of test questions.
The cause of the move dates back to 2016. That year’s “gaokao” was marked by serious cheating, with the exam’s questions leaked and widely circulated on the Internet.
Last year, the Algerian authorities ordered isps (Internet service providers) to shut down their social networks, but voluntary measures alone were not enough to ensure enforcement. This year, says one security official, “censorship will be better co-ordinated and more effective than ever”.
Education minister Nouria Benghabrit told Algerian media that the decision was “uncomfortable” but that they “should not be passive in the face of the possibility”.
In addition to cutting off the Internet, some 2,000 exam centers across the country are equipped with metal detectors, surveillance cameras and cellphone jammers.