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The idea of creating an Anti-corruption academy comes from a civil association named GERB. The academy would apply international experience and attract foreign experts to deliver lectures. Tightening the fight against corruption practices, particularly on high echelons, has been among the key critiques of the European Commission to Bulgaria.

The government urges that exam papers should be scanned by specialist computer software as part of a crackdown on internet plagiarism by A-level and GSCE pupils in their compulsory coursework. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority warns that exam boards appear to be failing to spot cheating, even though the number of cases of fraud is increasing. Last year 3,600 teenagers were caught breaching the rules, a 9 % rise on the previous year.

Unemployed teenagers are being offered £ 170 iPods to take part in a course aimed at helping them to find work. The free iPod is subject to completion of the course, which offers team-building activities, CV writing, work experience and community projects. Critics say that handing out the digital music players to teenagers amounts to bribery. It's giving the wrong message about the value of education. It tells teenagers they don't have to do anything unless they are getting a sweetener.

Exam boards report a sharp rise in teenagers caught cheating in public exams. More than 2,500 lost marks for breaking the rules in last year's GCSEs and A-levels - a 9% increase on 2003. More than 900 pupils were caught cheating or plagiarising their coursework. In total, 1,013 penalties were triggered by inappropriate use of mobile phones - 16% up on the same time last year.

More and more students are plagiarising material - and buying essays online. According to one of several companies that trade in "off-the-peg" and custom-written academic work, they sell between 500 and 1,000 essays a week, mainly to overseas students studying in the UK. Prices start at £50.

Popular web-based auction sites such as eBay could be contributing to the spiralling number of plagiarism cases occurring at British universities. Increasing numbers of students are turning to commercial sales sites to both buy and sell dissertations and essays on the web. Powerpoint presentations and slides have emerged as the newest form of work to attract buyers on the internet.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority will use sophisticated printing measures to combat diploma fraud. Results will be printed on heavy parchment paper containing secret markings known only to the printer and the awards body, making forgery more difficult. The British university admissions service admitted in 2004 that it had stopped 1,000 students from entering programs due to applications with fake qualifications.

Plans by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to export its examinations system to China have been put on hold following charges of fraud by students looking to gain entry to Britain on study visas. Staff at a Sino-British college, Sea Rich, raised concerns that many students were not studying, but had been promised by the university a two-year-year HND for payments of US$2,200. The students had also been promised assistance by the university to get UK entry clearance.

In spring 2004 interviews were conducted with 43 rectors, vice rectors, and administrators at five private universities. A consensus emerged that successful licensing or accreditation applications, with few exceptions, required some form of bribery. Licensing might require a bribe of US$ 200 about two months' salary for a typical academic - while accreditation might call for a 10 or 20 times greater "gratuity."

Ukrainian university students can earn a passing grade two ways: by slogging through the books or by paying a $20 bribe. Yushchenko has decided to change this situation but the task won't be easy.