Man nabbed for China's gaokao cheating scandal

Police on Friday apprehended an agent who allegedly hired students to sit China's college entrance exam for others.

Zhang Xuanli was captured in Huangshi in central Hubei Province, according to local police.

Zhang and another agent Wang Binbin allegedly hired 11 college students to replace test-takers in Qixian and Tongxu counties of Henan Province in the national college entrance exam, known as gaokao, on June 6 and 7.

China Central Television broke the story on June 17, prompting swift police action. Henan police interrogated 110 people and placed five, including Wang, in custody.

The test-takers who used substitutes had their exam results canceled and were barred from taking national exams in three years. Ten parents who paid for the scams were removed from government posts or demoted. Thirteen government workers and teachers were sacked or demoted for their colluding roles.

The investigation also punished five education officials in Henan. The college students may also face severe punishment.

Gaokao, the sole criteria in most college enrollments, is seen by many Chinese students as a fair path upward in society. Cheating, especially by the wealthy and powerful, often triggers national outcry.