Cheats mustn't pass

All cheatings are bad, but ones that pollute public life are the most reprehensible. Those who cheat in examinations for civil servants fall into the category of worst offenders and deserve the severest punishment.

State Bureau of Civil Servants revealed last week that nearly 1,000 candidates were caught cheating in the examinations last year, the largest number ever. Of them, more than 500 got the answers through some technological aid from illegal organizations. These organizations supposedly provide examinees with standard answers to examination papers for a fee.

As everyone knows, what cheating in exams challenges is the principle of fairness and equality. There are strict rules to punish students who cheat in school tests and those who cheat in national college entrance exams. But there are no specific rules with regard to cheating in exams for civil servants. Shanghai's rules stipulate that anyone who is found cheating in such exams will not be allowed to take them for five years.