Hi-tech counter measures are being taken by a number of universities to prevent hi-tech cheating during China's annual national college entrance exams, which will be taken by about 9.5 million people this month, Ministry of Education (MOE) said Wednesday.

Police departments last year uncovered nearly 30 cases involving more than 30 suspects who were caught using hidden telecommunication equipment to cheat on the exams or illegally selling exam contents.

Colleges and universities in Shandong, Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces started shielding mobile phone signals at exam halls last year, and more schools are planning the similar practice this year, even though some experts claim the scrambling devices may have unhealthy side effects.

No shielding devices, however, will be used in college entrance exams in Beijing, according to the Beijing Education Examinations Authority.

The Ministry of Education has ordered local educational departments to enhance electronic monitoring this year by installing handset detection instruments and monitoring devices in exam halls.

"Those, who intend to use mobile phone shielding devices, must show relevant report to prove the devices they are using will do no harm to people physically," said Lin Huiqing, the Ministry's senior official in charge of students for higher-learning institutions.

Some educational experts believe these high-tech counter-measures are unnecessary and expensive.

"Telling students the value of 'credibility' is more important than using these costly high-tech instruments,"said Shen Benliang, a senior official with the Shanghai higher learning examination Authority.

"We have, for years, advocated an 'honesty college exam' among students," Shen said.

Last year, approximately 1,700 students across the country were disciplined for cheating. This will greatly reduce the change for those who failed last year's exam to be enrolled by colleges or universities, as their deeds will be put in their "credibility records".

Starting from this year, the ministry built a database which will contain "credibility records" of exam takers in China, said Lin.

All the student-hopefuls will also be required to sign a paper promising not to cheat in the exams, Lin added.

China's police will, as well, be on guard to ensure smooth operation of the exams, which will take place on June 7th and 8th this year.

Passing the college entrance exams is the only way for Chinese youth to gain access to higher education. The institutions of higher learning in China plan to enroll 5.3 million students including 2.6 million undergraduates this year, which means one in every four test-takers will eventually be eligible for college enrollment.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2006)