Internet stars cash in showing children how to f iddle exams
POPULAR YouTube stars are raking in thousands of pounds by encouraging teenagers to cheat in their GCSEs.
The ‘ vloggers’ are cashing in from advertising as children watch the clips that detail how to smuggle answers into the exam room.
Last ni ght, experts condemned the influential internet stars – and reminded youngsters that they face disqualification from the entire subject, not just that particular exam, if they are found out.
Carmie Sellitto, who has more than 379,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, encourages viewers to put down their books, saying: ‘ No offence, revising is so boring.’
The 19-year-old from Surrey suggests pupils could create holes in the lining of their blazers to store a folded sheet of paper containing notes. If pockets are checked, nothing will be found. He admitted to The Mail on Sunday: ‘I made the video to let my followers know how easy it was to cheat and how I got away with it.’
Ryan Franklin, who has 160,000 subscribers, says he passed only one GCSE and tells fans to ‘make friends with the nerdy kids a few weeks before’. He suggests a ‘clap and tap’ technique to signal during multiple- choice tests which question candidates are stuck on. Helpful accomplices provide the appropriate number of taps, such as one for answer A or two for B. Videos for both stars are accompanied by adverts for major brands such as Bing and Whiskas.
Another vlogger called Charlie says teenagers should wear ‘smart’ glasses, which project information on to the lenses that only the user can see. Exams watchdog Ofqual says the number of penalties given to students for trying to cheat in 2017 leapt by a quarter on the previous year.
Professor Alan Smithers, of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, warned students it was becoming easier to detect cheats.
He said: ‘These suggestions may lead you down a blind alley. We have algorithms where, if there is a pattern behind the cheating, it can be picked up.’
He described the videos as a ‘low shot’, adding: ‘It is something the vloggers should feel guilty about, and may come to regret in the future.’
YouTube said: ‘ This should not have happened and we apologise for the mistake. When we find videos that violate our ad policies, we remove ads and credit advertisers.’