予備校生逮捕 入試不正解明し対策に生かせ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 5, 2011)
Get to bottom of exam cheating case
予備校生逮捕　入試不正解明し対策に生かせ（3月4日付・読売社説）

A 19-year-old preparatory school student was arrested Thursday in connection with a case in which entrance exam questions from Kyoto University and three other universities were posted on an Internet bulletin board site during the exam.
　京都大など４大学の入試問題がインターネット掲示板「ヤフー知恵袋」に流出した事件で、警察当局は、１９歳の男子予備校生を偽計業務妨害の疑いで逮捕した。

The male student, who was arrested on a charge of fraudulently interfering with Kyoto University's operations, reportedly told police that he acted alone and he "just wanted to pass" the exams.
　予備校生は調べに対し、「自分一人でやった」「合格したかった」などと話しているという。

How could the student use a cell phone to post exam questions on Yahoo Japan's Chiebukuro Web site--and see the answers sent back during the exams--without being detected by proctors? How did he come up with the idea of illicitly using the Internet during the exams? We hope the police will get to the bottom of this case and the student's motives.
　試験中、監視員の目を盗み、携帯電話からどうやって試験問題を投稿し、寄せられた回答を見ていたのか。なぜネット利用の不正を思いついたのか。警察当局には、詳しい経緯や動機について解明を進めてもらいたい。

Chiebukuro (pearls of wisdom) is a question-and-answer site. A user posts a question on the site, and then other users post answers. Replies often come in a short time; this usability has made the site very popular. The arrested student allegedly had used Chiebukuro previously.
　ヤフー知恵袋は、質問を投稿すると短時間に複数の回答が寄せられるサイトで、手軽さが人気を呼んでいる。予備校生も以前から利用していたとみられる。

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Exam system shaken

The student is of a generation who are Internet-savvy and skilled at using cell phones. He may have turned to the Internet to make up for his own lack of knowledge. But his actions trampled all over the sincere efforts being made by other examinees.
　予備校生は、インターネットや携帯電話の使い方に習熟した世代だ。学力不足を補うためにネットの世界に頼ったのだろうが、まじめに試験と取り組む他の受験生の努力を踏みにじる行為である。

His attempt to cheat could shake the very foundations of the university entrance exam system, which is supposed to be fair for everyone.
　公正であるべき大学入試制度を根幹から揺るがしかねない。

There are, however, no laws that penalize the act of cheating in an exam itself. Because of this, the police investigation is being conducted on the charge applied to crimes listed in the Penal Code as obstructing someone's business through fraudulent acts such as deceiving others.
　ただ、こうしたカンニング行為自体を罰する法律はない。このため、今回は、人をだますなど不正な行為で業務を妨害した場合に適用される刑法の偽計業務妨害罪で捜査が行われている。

It is important that by learning lessons from the latest incident, steps be taken to ensure similar misconduct is not repeated.
　大事なのは、今回の事件を教訓にして、実効性のある再発防止策を講じていくことだ。

Universities have instructed examinees to switch off their mobile phones and put them in their bags during exams. The latest case apparently caught them completely unawares.
　これまでも各大学は、試験中は携帯電話の電源を切り、かばんにしまうよう受験生に指示するなどの対応をとってきた。しかし、今回のようなネットを駆使した不正は想定外だったろう。

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Universities take action

After the latest incident came to light, some universities began keeping test-takers' cell phones during the test or having examinees turn off their phones and place them in clear view on their desks.
　京大などの事件を受け、大学の中には、試験中に携帯を預かったり、電源を切った携帯を机上に置かせたりするところも出てきた。

Some universities will even hold their exams in smaller venues than originally planned so examinees can be more easily watched.
監視の目が届くよう試験会場を小教室に変更する大学もある。

The possibility of test rooms being fitted with a device that jams mobile communications and prevents the use of cell phones has received increasing attention.
　教室内に妨害電波を出すことで携帯電話を使えなくする通信抑止装置も注目されている。

In South Korea, a large group of students used cell phones in an organized attempt to cheat on a university entrance exam in 2004. Since then, examinees have been prohibited from bringing cell phones and digital cameras to exam venues. Anyone who violates this rule can face punishments including disqualification for one year from taking the exam.
　２００４年に大学入試で携帯電話を使った集団カンニング事件が起きた韓国では、その後、試験会場への携帯電話やデジタルカメラの持ち込みが禁止された。不正が発覚した場合、受験資格停止などの制裁も科される。

Such precedents may be helpful guidelines as Japan tries to prevent a recurrence of unfair use of the Net by test-takers.
　再発を防ぐには、こうした事例も参考になるのではないか。

Misusing information devices to cheat in entrance exams could happen again. With that assumption in mind, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry needs to consider countermeasures while seeking advice from experts in a broad range of fields.
　情報機器を悪用した入試不正は今後も起きうる。文部科学省は、その前提に立って、幅広い分野の専門家から意見を聞くなど、対策を検討すべきである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 4, 2011)
（2011年3月4日01時18分 読売新聞）