Imposters fail in exam cheating

With the Examinations Department taking tough new measures to crack down on the use of electronic devices in exam centres, students have gone back to the traditional mode of exam cheating, e m p l oy i n g imposters to sit for them at the national examinations, officials said.

Last week police ar rested several impostors and the candidates who had hired them. One candidate and his impostor, both residents of Puhawella, were arrested at 10 a.m. by the Thiyagoda police during the GCE Ordinary Level mathematics paper on Monday.

In Thanamalwila, a 40-year old man and a forty-five year old man were arrested by the police on charges of impersonation.

In another incident in Kalmunai, a 19-year-old youth was arrested for exam fraud.

The Ceylon Teachers' Union said that competition among students and pressure to excel at studies was driving students to resort to cheating. "Schools must stop taxing the students too much demanding high grades. This is making them resort to all forms of ruses," General Secretary Joseph Stalin said.