City and municipal education bureau chiefs in Guangdong have been warned that they will be held responsible for any cheating that happens in public examinations in their area.
Vice-governor of Guangdong Li Hongzhong gave the warning in response to the recent corruption scandal involving the director and deputy directors of the Education Bureau in Dian Bai county and two officials from the National College and University Admission Office there.
The group of six has been charged with corruption and neglect of duties which led to the cheating by a number of students in last July's national university and college entrance examination. During the exam the students checked answers on paging machines bought from teachers. When the scandal emerged, 33 candidates had their grades annulled. Court hearings for the officials ended last month.
Li was reported as saying in the Guangzhou Daily the scandal had caused Guangdong people to lose face. 'Should a serious case of cheating happen this year, the education bureau chief of the area concerned will be the first person held to be responsible.'