Students discover small device to cheat big

Ras Al Khaimah: During the ongoing examination period, the micro wireless mobile headset is in big demand, and is fetching a price of Dh2,000.

School students have used this very small set to cheat and it has proved extremely successful as inspectors do not notice it in students' ears.

The Department of Economic Development earlier banned this particular type of headset following complaints from the Educational Zone.

However, mobile stores with stocks of the headset, and individuals who bought them earlier and no longer need them, are profiting by selling them to students who want to cheat in examinations.

School students said individuals who already had the sets sold or lent them for use during their examinations.

They added that a mobile phone is usually kept in the dishdasha and the microphone is put in the ear, where the student then has direct communication with other people outside the examination hall.

Inspections

They added that this microphone is very sensitive and those connected outside can hear everything happening inside the hall and provide the student with information.

A senior official at the Department of Economic Development said this particular head set had been banned and that all mobile shops in the emirate have been informed of this ban and instructed to get rid of their stock.

He added that since the beginning of the examination period, the department's inspectors have conducted several campaigns to ensure shops are complying with the ban.

The official said the suppliers have already stopped providing such sets and warned that mobile shops not complying with instructions would face tough penalties.

A senior Educational Zone official said that the micro mobile headset has been a nightmare for inspectors who usually check the students before the examinations start.

He said several cases of cheating had been discovered in the past years using different techniques, but the use of the micro headsets has been the most accurate way to get connected to the outside world during examinations.