School teachers in China have apparently¹ come up with an ingenious way to stop their students from cheating in exams.

中国学校的老师们似乎想出了一个防止学生作弊的妙招。

Pupils from a middle school in east China's Anhui Province were told to wear newspapers around their heads so that they couldn't look around, reported People's Daily Online.

据人民网报道，中国东部安徽省一所中学的学生被要求头戴一张报纸，这样他们便无法四处张望了。

According to the report, the picture was taken and uploaded to the Internet by a teacher supervising the exam.

据报道，照片是由一位监考老师拍摄并上传到网上的。

The newspapers had been cut open in the middle so the pupils could put them on their heads.

报纸的中间被剪开了，这样学生们就可以将其戴在头上。

The picture has sparked a debate among Chinese social media users.

照片在中国社交媒体用户中引发了一场争论。

Some praised the teachers' creativity, such as 'xian mu zi xi' who said on Weibo 'it really works'.

一些人称赞老师们的创意，比如，网友“xian mu zi xi”在微博上表示“这种方法真管用”。

However, many others suggested that it would harm students' dignity.

不过，不少网友认为该做法会损害学生的尊严。

'Zhao Jiaxuan' wrote under the same post on Weibo: 'It's no longer a matter of preventing cheating in exams, it's serious distrust of students. It could bring great psychological damage to students.'

“Zhao Jiaxuan”在同一篇微博下写道：“这已经不是考试作不作弊的问题了。这么做是严重的不信任学生，会给学生的心理造成多大的伤害啊。”

'Time machine -2009' agreed: 'If the teacher supervised the exam carefully standing² in the front of the classroom, it would be easy to catch cheaters. There is no need to do this at all.'

“Time machine -2009”表示赞同：“如果监考老师小心地站在教室前边，很容易看到谁作弊。根本不需要这么干。”

'Chun feng yi da' said: 'I feel sad about the Chinese education.'

“Chun feng yi da”说：“为中国教育感到悲哀”。

On the other hand, some people pointed³ out that the newspapers would actually make it easier for the students to cheat.

另外，有些人指出，实际上这种方法会方便学生作弊。

Weibo user 'Xi Ruogu' said: 'It would be easier to copy from notes as (the teacher's view) was blocked.'

微博用户“Xi Ruogu”说：“这样抄小抄更容易，因为（老师的视线）被挡住了。”

'Yan Guiling' joked: 'What if the answers were on the newspaper?'

“Yan Guiling”戏称：“如果答案就在报纸上怎么办？”

A follow-up report on People's Daily Online suggested that the picture had been taken at the Chuzhou Experimental School in Chuzhou, Anhui Province.

人民网的补充报道称，这张照片拍摄于安徽省滁州市滁州实验学校。

A spokesman from the school explained to the reporter that it was not an exam but 'a game' between the teachers and the students.

一位校方发言人向记者解释称，这并非一场考试，而是老师和学生之间的一场“游戏”。

The school said by using the method the teachers hoped to help the students de-stress before the upcoming final exam.

学校表示，老师们希望在期末考试来临之际通过这种方法帮助学生减压。

According to the school, all of the students were willing to participate in the game.

据校方称，所有学生都愿意参与这个游戏。

Pupils in China often endure intense pressure before exams as they are expected by their families to stay at the top of the class at all times.

中国学生在考前通常承受着巨大的压力，因为家长希望他们的成绩一直名列前茅。

Chinese authorities have in the past released pictures of the James Bond-style cheating technology used by students during the competitive exams.

中国官方曾经公开过学生在竞争激烈的考试中使用的007式作弊科技的照片。

These included sophisticated vests that link up to a button-hole camera hidden in a pen or watch, used to beam out images of the exam paper to someone outside the hall with a receiver.

其中包括连接到笔或者手表上的针孔摄像机的精密背心，借助针孔摄像头可将试卷图像通过接收器传给考场外的某个人。

The person outside then looks up the answer to the question, and relays it back to a mobile phone hidden on the pupil in the exam hall.

外面的人查到问题答案后，将答案回传到考场内考生藏在身上的手机上。

The speech is picked up via the mobile, and then sent on to a hidden earpiece.

语音信息通过手机接收，然后被发送到隐形耳机上。

In recent years, officials have launched a crackdown on those helping⁴ students cheat during the 'gaokao', the annual university entrance examination.

近年来，官方已经开始对在高考中帮助学生作弊的行为展开打击。高考是一年一度的大学入学考试。

In the past criminal groups have been found to be selling stolen exam papers and launching cyber attacks on exam board websites.

过去曾有犯罪团伙兜售偷盗来的考卷，还对考试机构的网站发起网络攻击。

Last year, educational authorities of central China's Luoyang city used drones to stop students cheating in the high-pressure 'gaokao'.

去年，中国中部城市洛阳市的教育局曾在紧张的高考考场出动无人机防止考生作弊。