Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojusucks]

Police arrest four, probe brokers in SAT leak scandal

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2915835
January 27, 2010
Police said yesterday they are investigating reports of brokers who habitually leak test sheets from the United States-based Scholastic Aptitude Test, trading questions for big sums of money - and they�re looking into whether major private institutes and parents are involved in the get-ahead-by-cheating scheme.

Police are also investigating the sale of another U.S.-based exam, the Secondary School Admission Test, which is aimed at students looking to enter private high schools in the United States.

Since the cash-for-questions scandal broke, it has been growing legs. Two security staff members from the office of testing integrity of the Educational Testing Service, which administers the SAT, were dispatched to Korea ahead of last Saturday�s exam to head off the illegal practices.

Despite their presence, on Sunday police arrested four suspects on charges of stealing mathematics and physics questions from Saturday�s test. The suspects allegedly either cut out the questions or input them into scientific calculators students are allowed to carry into test centers.

On Monday, an official with ETS said that SAT centers in Korea would remain open despite the investigation.

A police official who asked not to be named said, �We must closely examine the scandals that are circling the private academy circle in Gangnam, southern Seoul.�

A head of private language institute in southern Seoul said Monday that a broker was behind the recent alleged leak of the SAT and SSAT tests.

The head, who asked not to be named, said while he was a lecturer at a different private academy in 2005, he witnessed someone ask a head of that academy to buy stolen SSAT test sheets for 50 million won ($43,500).

He said he talked with the head about how to deal with the proposal.

�As far as I know, the head at the time did not buy the test papers, but said that the person who was trying to sell the sheets was definitely a broker,� said the head.

�After I established my own institute later, alleged leakages of SSAT test sheets continued. Even students and parents kept asking me how to get the questions in advance.�

In addition, police are probing whether some SAT lecturers tried to raise their competitiveness, and their wages, by telling people instructors can release test sheets in advance.

�They allegedly praised themselves when they leaked test papers,� said a police official who asked not to be identified. �Some lecturers acted like brokers in order to make a deal with many private academies and parents.�

Meanwhile, in Thailand, a probe is being conducted over whether a lecturer surnamed Kim obtained the SAT test and answer sheets from a test-taker in Bangkok, then passed them on to two students in the United States.

[sojusucks]

[madoka]

[elavndrc]

Oh that's horrible...if you can memorize a test paper you can study for the damn test.

[crossmr]

The police have been calling the parents to check up on how much tuition they paid to see whose kids were cheating and whose weren't.

Apparently the going rate here was an extra 30 million.

[wylies99]

[madoka]

It's great to see that there is going to be a crackdown of some sort. It reduces the market for legitimate teachers when cheaters are allowed to pay their way through.

[richardlang]

I feel like I see this word far too often in newspapers here. Is it just me?

Here are some clips from the Joongang Ilbo. I think I added a Korea Times article, too.

# Police said yesterday they are investigating reports of brokers who habitually leak test sheets from the United States-based Scholastic Aptitude Test, trading questions for big sums of money - and they�re looking into whether major private institutes and parents are involved in the get-ahead-by-cheating scheme.

# A 2006 study, conducted on the behalf of the National Assembly Committee on Gender Equality, looked at the sexual activities of Korean men visiting Thailand and the Philippines and found that Korean men were known for habitually doing drugs and seeking out underage girls to have sex with.

# In addition to the charges, Kwon has made against Lee, she also stated on Thursday he had habitually taken part in illegal Baccarat gambling while the two had been together.

# "Local companies have begun to inflate their earnings prospects habitually when offering shares in order to lure more investors."

# A while ago, a TV news report caught my eyes that many rich people in Korea are still habitually delaying to pay high amount of taxes despite all-out efforts by the government authorities.

[crossmr]