Ministry officials involved in exam cheating, DSI suspects

The DSI probe suspected some Education Ministry executive-level officials might be involved and had a key role in the cheating, the source said. The suspicion stems from the fact an order was issued for a change from having each educational zone conduct exams to recruit teacher assistants to having the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) organise the nationwide exams. This enabled central administrators to see the manpower needs of each zone and how many positions were available.

Some people were sent to take the test in other areas in order to match the fields needed. 

DSI also suspected the exam paper leakage may be from the central administration rather than during the paper printing process or when it was transported by Thailand Post because answers that cheating test-takers recited were complete, with all 30 specific-field subjects as well as three general subjects. If the papers were stolen during transport the cheating gang would only get hold of the papers of three general subjects and one specific-field subject that the particular area wanted to recruit, the source explained.

The Special Case Committee will decide on Wednesday whether to take up this case for the DSI to officially investigate the teacher assistant exam cheating. If that is approved, the DSI would spend 15 days to check facts and nine alleged irregularities for further investigation, said Thanin Prempree, director of the DSI’s corruption prevention and suppression centre. 

The probe would be divided into two parts. The civil servants’ abuse of authority would be submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and wrongdoing by those partaking in the cheating (including school directors who provided answers to test-takers or “imposters” and some civil servants hired to train people how to use electronic devices to receive signals for correct answers during the test), he said.