Education: Ban on photographing exam questions outside schools and measures to prevent leaks

The Ministry of Education has issued strict directives prohibiting the photocopying or printing of final exam questions outside of school premises. All school administrations are required to allocate secure and equipped areas within the school grounds for printing and packaging. This measure is part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at strengthening institutional discipline and ensuring the highest standards of confidentiality in the educational process.

Context of the decision and the importance of academic integrity

These measures are of paramount importance in the context of developing the educational system, as examinations are the true benchmark for measuring learning outcomes. Historically, external printing processes posed a security vulnerability that could lead to leaks of exam questions, thus undermining the principle of equal opportunity among students. Therefore, restricting the handling of exam papers to within the school aims to prevent any practices that could negatively impact the fairness of academic achievement and enhances the credibility of educational certificates locally and regionally, which will positively affect educational outcomes and the future job market.

Secure printing and packaging protocols

Based on the approved testing systems and procedures manual, the Ministry held the teacher who prepared the questions directly responsible for their confidentiality and printing, with the possibility of assigning a trusted substitute, documented in an official report, in exceptional circumstances. The Ministry also established precise controls for the packaging process, including:

• Record detailed information on the circumstances (subject name, grade, test type, time).
• Separate the answer models under completely independent conditions.
• The envelopes were closed and sealed with the school's official seal on all sides.
• Signing the handover and receipt reports between the school principal, the deputy principal, and the question setter to ensure the completion of the procedural chain.

These envelopes are kept in secure vaults under the direct responsibility of the school principal, arranged chronologically according to the approved examination schedules.

Strict measures to deal with leaks

As part of its crisis management plans, the Ministry adopted an immediate protocol for dealing with any suspected leak of exam questions. The protocol stipulates the immediate cancellation of leaked questions and their replacement with pre-prepared alternatives or those urgently prepared by specialized committees. In critical situations where time is limited, the system allows access to exam papers from other schools through official channels.

The ministry also stressed the need to inform parents with complete transparency about any emergency measures taken, and to allocate a hotline for school principals to communicate directly with education leaders, which ensures a rapid response and addressing any malfunction that may threaten the progress of the exams, in order to preserve the rights of students and the stability of the educational community.