The facts are quite straightforward - some of the questions from the Cambridge A Level papers were leaked before the exams by the BlackPapers.info (& its Facebook group) & given that news travels faster than light, in almost no time, students all over the world had already started studying/discussing out their solutions - including Mauritius. :P
Cambridge for not doing enough to secure its papers - but it's also quite obvious that it's easier to get hold of a paper in say Pakistan rather than in Mauritius. & then there's the time difference...
Update: We've got our culprit - CIE. How can you expect the papers not to be leaked if there's a massive 12h time difference between exams held in Malaysia & those in Mauritius. Either Cambridge didn't know the existence of the Internet till now or they are just way too incompetent. & the problem is ever worse because only in Mauritius, students compete for scholarship...
What can be done?
This is an international problem & the natural solution would be to hold new exams for all leaked papers. But that's easier said than done - I'm sure Cambridge has a hoard of substitute papers, but re-organising an internationally coordinated exam is no easy task. It'll also depend on the number of students who took advantage of the leak – how can you distinguish between someone who cheated & someone who worked really well?
Students?
For those who didn't get wind of the leak, I'm really sorry for them. For those who managed to cheat, congrats, you've passed! ...well, if only Cambridge doesn't cancel those papers!
In case of re-organising the exams, that'll be a second lifeline for everyone. But having to study all over again sucks as well - not to mention the whole ordeal you'll have to go through.
Personally I think Cambridge will let it go. BUT why didn't this happen while I was doing HSC?!? :@
To be honest, I did search for leaked papers, but with my dial-up, I couldn't do anything & AFAIK there were no leaks. Only Physics practical experiments could be predicted from available equipment.
Dife-Media have also posted something about this on their website…
De grosses fuites dans les épreuves du HSC sur l’Internet
Un autre scandale bouleverse le déroulement des examens du Higher School Certificate. De grosses fuites ont été découvertes dans les épreuves suivantes : Physique (Papier 2), mathématiques, et chimie. De nombreux étudiants du HSC ont eu accès au blog de Blackpaper.info où les discussions ont lieu au sujet des épreuves de Cambridge. Ce blog a été visité par de centaines d’étudiants mauriciens, ils ont chatté avec des collégiens du Pakistan, de la Malaisie et de la Nouvelle Zélande.
Ce matin, ils se sont retrouvés en face des mêmes numéros discutés la veille sur leurs questionnaires en salle d’examen. Le Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) est dans la tourmente. Lucien Finette a réuni d’urgence ses officiers. Un comité se penche sur ces fuites afin de trouver des solutions pour que les étudiants ne soient pas pénalisés.
« Nous avons informé Cambridge de la situation après avoir compilé toutes les preuves au sujet de ces fuites », a-t-il déclaré sur les ondes de Radio Plus.
Le directeur du MES a reçu des étudiants d’un prestigieux établissement de la capitale. Ils demandent aux autorités de réagir pour qu’ils ne soient pas pénalisés. Le ministre de l’Education qui suit de près cette affaire attend les premières conclusions de l’enquête du MES pour annoncer la marche à suivre. « Nous ferons tout pour protéger les étudiants », rassure Vasant Bunwaree.
Yoven, étudiant en HSC et fréquentant un collège de la capitale, témoigne : « Un ami m’a envoyé un message sur le facebook. On a discuté du papier la veille et le lendemain j’ai constaté en salle d’examen que les questionnaires sont identiques », avoue-t-il.
In their race for sensationalism, they didn’t even get the right address – it’s Blackpapers.info, not Blackpaper.info & it’s definitely a forum, not a blog! LMAO! :D
& why don’t just say RCPL, instead of “un prestigieux établissement de la capitale.”
Update:
S4ndeep has also posted: HSC PAPERS LEAKED!
Blog reactions:
Shah - Vasant - Please, SHUT THE FRAK UP!
Tushal - Bet now..Facebook to be banned?
Tushal - Are they right or wrong?
IslandCrisis - The Fraking Government of Mauritius To Ban Facebook??
Kailash - Overwhelmed by web 2.0
Web Design Bureau - Facebook ban in Mauritius?
Priscus - Shame on Kambridge
S4ndeep - Cheaters Are going to be TrackedDown!
Avinash - The Cambridge International Examinations is at fault
Priscus - Papers leaked out so what?
S4ndeep - The Situation so far | Summed up.
Priscus - Fiasco HSC 2008
Pascalg - Cambridge A Level Exams Leak … in an exam crazy nation
Joseph - HSC 2008 Exams
Papers:
L'Express - Tricheries aux examens du HSC
DiféMedia - Leakage of HSC exam papers