2 officials behind exam cheating

An investigation by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has suggested that two top education officials were involved in the recruitment-exam cheating scandal.

Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanich said yesterday that the two officials held senior posts at the Office of Basic Education Commission. "If so, we will launch a disciplinary probe and transfer those two officials to inactive posts," he said.

Sermsak has asked the DSI to look into why 514 people taking tests for the post of teaching assistant had earned unusually high scores in recruitment exams on suspicion that cheating might have taken place. Their scores, on average, was above 90 marks.

Sermsak said yesterday that, so far, he had not received an official investigation report from the DSI, adding that he did not think his ministry should invalidate the exam results at sites where some test-takers were found to have cheated. "I think we should take action against cheats only."

The Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commis-sion will decide on Friday on how to proceed with the results of the recruitment exams.