In the coming days Flemish education minister Zuhal Demir (Flemish nationalist N-VA) wants to get a clear picture of the exact extent of fraud during the university entrance exams for medicine, veterinary and dentistry studies. She has instructed the education administration to try to determine whether fraud has been committed for each exam session individually. Ms Demir is considering a return to pen and paper for next year's exam.
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Education minister orders investigation into ChatGPT fraud in medicine studies entrance exams
Colin Clapson
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‘Everything that can be investigated will be thoroughly examined,’ the minister told daily Het Laatste Nieuws. Her office has announced that the minister has instructed the education administration to conduct an investigation. External IT specialists are also being involved. Ms Demir is moving fast and is not awaiting the outcome of the examination board's investigation.
The full extent of the fraud should become clear in the coming days. ‘The aim is to be able to say in the near future whether each participant has committed fraud, or whether there are any indications of this,’ the minister’s spokesperson says.
Yesterday, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Leuven University said that, in his opinion, it is impossible that fraud has been committed on a large scale. ‘It involves much more than a simple click, so invigilators would have seen what was happening.’
During the examination, three participants were caught in the act of cheating, two in the medicine and one in the dentistry entrance exam.
The head of the examination board has meanwhile resigned.
Consequences still unclear
Cases of fraud will be punished in any event. The minister does not yet wish to comment on the exact consequences. Various options are currently being investigated.
The minister’s office emphasises that there is little point in students and parents taking legal action at this stage as has happened. ‘Let us first conduct the investigation and provide answers, so that hopefully there will be clarity for everyone.’
Back to pen and paper next year?
Ms Demir is also looking at how fraud can be prevented in future. She is even considering a return to paper-based examinations.
The minister is also thinking of organising the exam in a more centralised setting once again, as students can currently take the exam at different locations across Flanders.