The administrators of a Facebook page known for leaking Egyptian high school examination papers and model answers published the answers to chemistry and philosophy exams on Thursday, 15 minutes after the exams had started.
The "Shawming Byghashish Thanaweya Amma" (Shawming's Cheats for High School Exams) Facebook page has leaked several papers for Egypt's high school final exams since they started in early June, causing outrage among parents and education officials.
Earlier in June, South Cairo prosecutors ordered the detention of 12 Education Ministry officials for 15 days pending investigation into the leak of exam papers that had been shared online prior to exams.
Shawming has been publishing leaked examination papers and model answers for almost four years, and so far the administrators have evaded capture, despite the efforts of Education Ministry officials and the police.
The administrators of Shawming have in the past published comments expressing concern over the education system in Egypt, and it seems the leaks of examination papers this year may be partly intended to provoke protests that force change.
Final high-school exams — known as thanaweya amma — began in early June and continue for three weeks. About 563,000 students are involved in the final exams of their pre-university education.
The thanaweya amma refers to the final years of high school, which students attend between the ages of 17 and 18, and is a crucial educational stage in Egypt. A student’s score in the examinations can determine whether they are admitted to a free public university and what course they are able to study.
Authorities have worked to maintain consistent examination standards over the past few years, despite the political, economic and social turbulence of post-Mubarak Egypt. During the security void following the January 25 revolution, the armed forces transported exam papers using armored vehicles and helicopters.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
