Forget tackling terrorism and seducing Russian agents. The new challenge for modern spies is preventing the leak of exam papers.
In South Africa, spooks from the National Intelligence Agency have been drafted in to ensure the integrity of the school leaving tests and carry out background checks on invigilators and markers.
Exam bosses in South Africa have been having a tough time of late. Cheating by 61 teachers in Mpumalanga province last year led to an investigation of some 2,000 exam scripts and delayed the release of the results.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority should be grateful that all it has to deal with are challenges over grade boundaries and pass mark “manipulation”.
