CAIRO: In a report revealed to the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm dated November 2003, the paper claimed that the high school thanweya amma board has been in violation of standard regulations for years. First and second degree relatives of students are not allowed to take part in the marking or invigilating process, a rule that has been ignored for over 14 years. Thus reports of cheating during exams all over the country have been widespread, with one high-ranking ministry of education employee in Assuit recently getting penalized. Thanaweya amma is a pivotal year is students' lives as the results of their final exams will determine whether they make the grade to join the faculty of their choice, and in turn will set the path for their entire future. Many students however complain from the packed core curriculum and the difficulty of exams. Some students interviewed by The Daily Star Egypt were close to tears as they told their tales of increased suffering and anxiety attacks and many parents actually cried. This year's physics exam was more difficult than anyone expected and it was above the capabilities of the average student, they said. However Mustafa Abd El Samei, head of the secondary school examination board, was reported as saying that "the exam wasn t as hard as the students made you believe, most of the questions were included in the mock exam that was previously issued by the board. "It was a fair exam all in all. Any student who studied hard would not have had problems with it, he added.
