Student turns herself in to police over alleged university exam cheating

Risk/Reward ... Crime/Punishment ... She's just ruined her whole life ahead of her over this. Will a university and future employer will ever give her a chance?

This is the result of the extreme pressure put on students in an education system based solely on test performance.

What has pressure to do with cheating. Cheating happens always.

And if you think the education system is based on test performance than you haven't visit other countries such as Korea.

What has pressure to do with cheating. Cheating happens always. 

And if you think the education system is based on test performance than you haven't visit other countries such as Korea.

I’ve been to Korea and yeah, they do have a testing system that is probably even more high pressure than Japan’s, but I don’t see how that fact provides a defence to legitimate criticisms being raised against the Japanese system.

I thought she wanted to be a doctor. Too many tough guys out there. ( Yes, it was wrong, but ) leave the poor girl alone.

Cheats on one question in a test, life is ruined.

Too bad the real world isn't as hard on people who bend the rules to get ahead, right? I mean, literally all successful people would be put on the chopping block but yeah, screw this one kid in particular I guess.

Don't tell me that nobody is cheating during tests or exams.

Millions of people, students, buisness men, ...whoever has to go to a test are cheating during the tests.

In my high school times, even there were not yet mobile phones around, people cheat with writing things on their hands or on small piece of papers.

It is like @rcch said, leave this poor girl alone. This is not the end of the world.

The system cheats women out of places at university (Tokyo Medical School anyone?) so, seems "fair". I feel for this young woman, here, that's it, she is brushed and tarred, for life -- as a cheat. No second chance in Japan.

Don't tell me that nobody is cheating during tests or exams.

Yeah, difficult to do even for those who don't need to

In imperial China, a candidate taking the civil service examinations was put to death for cheating.

Just a fun historical fact!

Am I the only one who's now super curious what the question was?

In imperial China, a candidate taking the civil service examinations was put to death for cheating.

Just a fun historical fact!

Nobody else caught since then? =)

Anyway I just wonder, wouldn't it have been easier and faster to just Google it? Certainly seems safer

@chuckmo

I'm right there with you. I minored in world history, so I'm interested to see if I would even know it lol

They did say it's a problem so no outright answer I guess

Glad she came out the admitted the guilt. Hope she could rebuild herself after this.

You can be sure the testers will be more careful checking those taking the tests from now on.

You can be sure the testers will be more careful checking those taking the tests from now on.

I'm actually of the impression that the proctor wasn't strict on that particular occasion, turned a blind eye so to speak

Sad she chose to do this. I don't know what to feel.

I went to Architecture school and when studying for finals in the student union, I was offered a good look at the test by the teacher assistant himself. I was shocked and a bit scared, not knowing if teacher was involved in this. I declined and said no and then got the heck out of there.

Still today I feel sick thinking about who decided to cheat on that exam which was for structures class. That's where future architects learn the math to figure out what size beams and columns are needed for buildings stay up. Engineers do the heavy duty calculating, but you still need to understand it in order to put your seal of approval on the drawings. Important stuff. In this situation, cheaters can kill people.

I hope this girl is given a second chance, but watched like a hawk in the next test.

With all of the latest technology coming out, students are going to have to be individually screened for any devices.

Cheating is to be taken seriously - of course.

But the classic overkill here is mind-numbing. Daily National News????

Firstly the attempt to cheat was weak - 1 question - during actual exam time - very, very difficult - so any benefit if remotely successful, would have been miniscule.

2ndly, ..." The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is sending personnel to Kagawa to investigate the matter on suspicion of fraudulent obstruction of business...".

Well we all know what that potentially would look like. Officers, boxes, hard drives ....etc

Just let the local educational authorities and mental health care support take care of it.

Save valuable money, time and human resources of the TOKYO police on bigger events like political fraud, deceit and crime.

A) I can't believe this actually made national headlines

B) why did she crumble under the pressure to confess that she cheated? I'm not condoning cheating but this girl just ruined her entire future, in Japan at least, by fessing up. How is she going to finish up her studies let alone bag a job after? Knowing how Japan works, this mark on her record is going to be forever used against her. There are no second chances in Japan - you screw up once and you're done.

this is the end for her in Japan... hopefully she can move to Australia, Europe, or North America and start a new life...

with Japanese universities falsifying test scores to fail female students, women need to cheat to get in. it's only fair

Risk/Reward ... Crime/Punishment ... She's just ruined her whole life ahead of her over this. Will a university and future employer will ever give her a chance?

Nah, she'll be fine eventually. While she may not get into Todai, you may have noticed that she has not been named publicly as she is still considered a "minor".

Not everyone needs a university degree to be successful in life here!

@browny1

Well we all know what that potentially would look like. Officers, boxes, hard drives ....etc

Just let the local educational authorities and mental health care support take care of it.

Nah. Japanese police and the entire justice system is notorious for overreaching in matters that are "sure" for conviction e.g. evidences, admission, even thought the supposed "crime" is not even consequential, like cheating in an exam. All they think is performance points and promotion.

"What could they charge her with?"

Cunning...

@3RENSHO

I see what you did there...

She apparently didn't make it through so no need/point to nullify results

This is the result of the extreme pressure put on students in an education system based solely on test performance.

Amazing to see the number of people here excusing her actions, let's blame "the system" for her cheating.

Question - If she became a doctor, would you want her as YOUR doctor? I wouldn't.

The student in question was in her first year at a women's university in Osaka and was hoping to transfer to another, private school. Japanese news sources are not reporting that she hoped to enter a medical program.

Question - If she became a doctor, would you want her as YOUR doctor?

Not sure. Which is better, a doctor who instantly tells you what is wrong with you and what medicine to take, or one who checks things out first by looking at medical data on a specialist internet site? And which category does the student in question come closest to?

Although I might have concerns if that specialist site covered world history. "Well in ancient Greece, it seems they ate bat droppings to cure chest pains. Shall we try that?"

Still struggling to see how it would be possible for her to whip out a phone, take a photo (and get it right first time) upload to Skype (why skype?? Who uses this??) ask for an answer, then expect to get an answer, check the phone again, all in a room full of students, two-to-three per desk, plus the invigilators staring like hawks (trust me on this one) and no shutter noise when taking the photo? And all decided on the spur of the moment?

And then she confessed. Yeah right! Trust me, what she said she did is highly improbable and likely impossible. It goes further up than this. Somebody is wagging the dog. Wish journalists would do their jobs and actually do some digging.

...likely impossible. It goes further up than this. Somebody is wagging the dog.

No, it does not go higher. Have invigilated these exams, including this year. Improbable, what the student claims she did, but not impossible, given the sheer number of examinees sometimes assigned to a single room; has happened before.