英字新聞

2011/03/02
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 1
EDITORIAL: High-tech cheating in entrance exams
入試問題投稿―ネット時代の不正防止は

Cheating has been an unfortunate fixture in the history of examinations. Still, the apparent exam misconduct committed during recent university entrance examinations is surprising. Should we say that it had been expected and that it took place at last?
　いつの世にも、試験にカンニングはつきものだ。とはいえ、今回発覚した不正行為には驚かされる。やはりというか。ついにというべきか……。

Questions from Kyoto University's math and English exams were posted on Yahoo's Chiebukuro (knowledge bag), an Internet bulletin board, from mobile phones while the exams were in progress. Some of the questions posted received responses from other members of the website before the exams finished.
　京都大で入学試験の最中に、数学と英語の問題の一部が携帯電話からインターネット上のサイト「ヤフー知恵袋」に投稿された。試験終了までに第三者から回答も寄せられていた。

Similarly, questions from Waseda, Rikkyo and Doshisha universities and the answers to them were posted on the bulletin board. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has asked the four universities to submit reports on what happened.
　早稲田大や立教大、同志社大の入試でも、同じように問題と回答が投稿されていた。文部科学省は４大学に事実関係の報告を求めた。

Unsurprisingly, Kyoto University criticized the cheating as "a criminal act that shakes the foundation of entrance examinations" and pledged to "deal strictly with anyone who has committed misconduct."
　京都大は「入学試験の根幹を揺るがす犯罪行為」と憤り、「不正行為者には厳正に対処したい」とする。

Students who took these exams are naturally exasperated.
当然だろう。受験生の怒りも大きい。

There are many unanswered questions about the cheating. The first posting came just several minutes after the math exam started at Kyoto University. How was this possible in an exam hall where test proctors were walking around to keep watch on the behavior of candidates? Were there any accomplices outside the exam rooms? Was the cheating committed only for the purpose of passing the exams or for some other motives?
　まだ不明な点は多い。投稿は早いものでは試験開始から数分後だ。試験官の巡回する会場でどうやったら可能だったのか。外部に協力者はいるのか。試験に合格するためだったのか。ほかの意図があったのか。

Kyoto University has filed a report with the police. The university says the cheating may constitute fraudulent interference with its duty because the cheating interfered with the conduct of the business of administrating entrance examinations. The four universities need to find out the facts about the cheating, including how it was actually done. Without accurate and detailed information about what was done, it is impossible to take effective preventive measures.
　京都大は警察に被害を申告した。入学試験という業務を妨害されたとして、偽計業務妨害の疑いがあるとしている。４大学は真相と手口の解明を急がなくてはならない。それなくしては対策も立てられない。

Yahoo Japan Corp., which operates the Chiebukuro bulletin board, should cooperate with the investigations.
　「知恵袋」を運営するヤフージャパンも協力すべきである。

The revelations have bewildered national universities scheduled to administer the second part of their entrance exams on March 12. They are clueless as to what steps they should take to prevent similar cheating with mobile phones.
　１２日に入試の後期日程を控える国立大学の間には、どんな対策をとればいいのか戸惑いが広がっている。

For now, they should swiftly review and reconsider the way test proctors do their job.
　とりあえず試験監督のあり方を早急に点検し、見直さなければならない。

The key question for the future is what to do with the cellphones test-takers bring into exam rooms.
　受験生が試験会場に持ち込む携帯をどうするかが今後の課題だ。

Universities have different rules. Kyoto University instructed entrance exam candidates to turn off their mobile phones and keep them in their bags. Some universities tell students to turn off their mobiles, put them in their bags and place the bags in a place set up to keep their belongings at a corner of the exam hall.
　扱いは現在、大学によって異なる。京都大では電源を切り、かばんの中にしまうよう指示していた。電源を切ってかばんに入れ、それを試験会場の隅の「携行品置き場」に置かせている大学もある。

In order to ensure complete prevention of this kind of high-tech cheating in exams, it is probably necessary to prohibit candidates from bringing cellphones and other electronic devices into exam rooms. Education minister Yoshiaki Takaki has suggested that such a step be considered.
　今回のような不正を完全に防ぐには、携帯など電子機器の持ち込みそのものを禁じることだ。高木義明文部科学相も「持ち込む是非も含めて考えていかないと」と話した。

But the strict enforcement of such a ban requires not just inspections of the candidates' belongings but also body search and the installation of metal detectors. These measures would cost a lot of money and manpower. The issue clearly demands a broad public debate.
　しかし、厳密に実施するには受験生の持ち物検査だけでなく、ボディーチェックや金属探知機の設置も求められる。予算も人手もかかる。社会全体で議論する必要がある。

In this highly networked society, people seeking the answers to questions can easily get them by posting the questions on Internet bulletin boards, instead of doing time-consuming research on their own. The answers may or may not be correct. But these lazy questioners tend to accept the posted answers without question.
　ネット社会が発達したいま、何か分からないことがあれば、自分で苦労して調べなくても、投稿サイトに質問を投げておけば、だれかが教えてくれる。回答は正解のこともあれば、間違っていることもある。それでも、他人の回答に「ただ乗り」してしまう。

This trend may be behind the exam misconduct with mobile phones.
　そんな風潮が今回の不正の背景にあるのではないか。

The news should also prompt us to ponder the question of what kind of relationship should be built between the expanding universe of electronic information and man's intellectual activity.
　広がる電子情報空間と知的な営みとの関係はどうあるべきか。そんなことも考えさせられるできごとである。