CAIRO - Thousands of parents, whose children will take the pre-university Thanawaya Amma examinations early next month, feel apprehensive. Under ordinary circumstances, the Thanawaya Amma (General Secondary School Certificate) exams are synonymous with dread and even foul tricks related to mass cheating. Around four years ago, exam sheets were leaked for cash in the Upper Egyptian Governorate of Minya. At the time, influence peddling by local VIPs was cited for this leak. The forthcoming exams will be the first to be held in post-revolutionary Egypt, where the principles of equality, freedom and dignity will hopefully prevail. However, signs are that this year's Thanwaya Amma exams will not run smoothly and fairly. The final year exams of the preparatory school certificate, held last week, were marred by violence in several parts of the nation, apparently due to a glaring lack of security. Minya again this year made local headlines, as the social studies questions for the prep school certificate exam were leaked hours before the test was scheduled to start. Invigilators in other catchment areas were harassed and even attacked by candidates and their families, in response to their strictness inside the exam halls. There were no police to protect them. Hired thugs were readily available to give a helping hand in punishing the dutiful invigilators. Less than two weeks before the crucial Thanawya Amma exams begin, the interim Government has promised draconian security measures. The Army, which has been in charge since the ousting of the Mubarak regime, will bear the brunt of this. Question and answer sheets will be delivered and collected by military helicopters, according to Minister of Education Gamal Eddin Moussa, who added that the places where the exam marking takes place will be guarded by tanks. Areas notorious for outlaws will see security beefed up by police in collaboration with soldiers during the exams, he disclosed, suggesting that armoured vehicles will be positioned outside some exam halls. "What do you think about sitting for your exams under such circumstances?" I asked my daughter, who is busy gearing up for the month-long exam ordeal. "Tanks, armoured vehicles and gun-toting soldiers. Wow! It might be a thrilling experience. It's as though we were going to war," she commented. "Still, I am afraid that all this talk about tight security will prove to be hot air, as we've seen in recent events," she added apprehensively. "I am worried about two probabilities: mass cheating or an official decision to cancel these exams because of the lack of security. In either case, my year-long swotting up on my lessons and all the money you've spent on my after-school private classes will go to waste," she cautioned. "You must brace yourself for all options."
