A Thanaweya Amma high school student threw himself from a classroom’s window and died in the Gharbeya governate on Wednesday.
The student, who died instantly, threw himself shortly after the exam began in an exam panel in El Santah town “due to the difficulty” of the exam, according to local media reports.
However, state-owned Al-Ahram reported that the student threw himself after he was allegedly observed cheating in the exam. The operations’ unit of the ministry of education stated that the student ended his life after observers noticed he was cheating and initiated legal procedures toward him, Al-Ahram clarified.
About 391,241 students of both the math and science divisions have taken the “Chemistry” exam across the country.
Parts of Wednesday’s exam were leaked on social media cheat pages according to Al-Ahram.
No exam has been passed without parts of it being leaked on social media. A student responsible for leaking the ‘Arabic Language’ exam two weeks ago in an exam panel in Damietta has been subjected to some disciplinary sanctions.
The ministry of interior announced earlier that it arrested five people who are allegedly involved in facilitating Thanaweya Amma exam leaking on social media. Four of the suspects are accused of circulating the questions and answers of Thanaweya Amma exams on the internet, while the fifth one is accused of selling headphones to facilitate cheating, according to the ministry.
Despite the cheating incidents, the ministry of education has set some rules to limit the circulation of exams on social media pages.
Students are not allowed to possess a mobile or any electronic device during the exams (even if they are switched off). Anyone who attempts to print, publish, broadcast, or circulate exams can face more than a year of imprisonment and a fine that is between EGP 10,000 and EGP 50,000 as well as being deprived of taking exams.
