Electromagnetic waves have health & biological effects

KUWAIT CITY, April 11: A strong blow was directed by the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Education, represented by the Joint Higher Committee for Examinations, which was formed by the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Hamad Al-Adwani, to develop a mechanism to combat cheating during examinations with its modern tools, reports Al-Qabas daily. The committee has representatives of relevant ministries and government institutions as members. It seems that the project related to the use of jamming devices to prevent cheating is heading towards failure.

The Ministry of Health sent an official letter to the Ministry of Education, warning against installing communication jamming devices in schools during the examination period. It insisted that these devices contain electromagnetic waves that have health and biological effects on students and others. According to an official source in the Ministry of Health, the ministry’s response was based on the recommendation of the Joint Examinations Committee during its first meeting, to provide health opinion, instruct to study the possibility of placing jamming devices, and to take measures to ensure adherence to the safe limits for their use in schools during the examination period.

The source explained that the concerned authority in the Ministry of Health, represented by the Radiation Protection Department, informed those concerned that exposure to electromagnetic waves has health and biological effects that depend on the transmission strength, the time of exposure, and the distance from the device to the students. The absorption of these waves by the human body is greater for the younger age groups compared to old ones. Its symptoms include inattentiveness, distraction, memory loss, and the appearance of negative changes in children’s behavior and development. The electromagnetic waves could affect some devices, especially sensitive ones, due to the possibility of waves interfering with each other. Electromagnetism could also affect pacemakers implanted in the bodies of heart patients, in the event of non-compliance with the limits, safe distances, and radiation protection requirements.

According to the official response of the Supreme Committee for Examinations, the Ministry of Health believes that there is no strong justification for exposing students and the educational and administrative bodies to electromagnetic waves by using jamming devices. The ministry also prohibits the installation of communication towers inside schools. Jamming devices have the same effect as communication towers. In addition, reliable educational sources expressed their dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Health’s response, which might stop the project of jamming phones, headphones, and precise devices developed for cheating, by installing modern devices that prevent transmission and reception within the committees. They explained that the main problem in the spread of the phenomenon among students to obtain easy success is the existence of advanced cheating tools that are difficult to detect. They are introduced every year, such as magnetic headphones, cards, etc.

Examination
The best solution to confront them is to prevent transmission and reception within examination schools, while providing special schools and committees only for students who suffer from diseases and special cases that prevent them from being exposed to jamming devices. The defect lies in leaking of exams after the start of the test date, photographing it from inside the committees, and sending it to “cheating groups”, which in turn solve the exams and send them to the examining student through the technological means available to him in the committee.

The solution is to prevent easy success for huge numbers. Ten tasks of the anti-fraud committee -

1) Gathering information on the causes of fraud and making recommendations to end it.

2) Conducting surveys about the phenomenon and its impact on the individual and society.

3) A mechanism to combat fraud and educate the community and the people in the field of its apparent dangers.

4) Researching the causes of the occurrence of the phenomenon, and following up the issue of cheating headphones.

5) Coordinating the study of cutting off transmissions from phones during exams.

6) Health and medical controls to disturb and prevent transmission in examination venues.

7) Coordinating with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to monitor and close fraudulent tools trading sites.

8) Amending the Anti-Fraud Regulation to adapt it to technological progress.

9) Modifying the format of the examination paper to ensure that it is not circulated and that it is difficult to leak.

10) Developing a final plan to address the phenomenon of cheating and leaking exams.

The most prominent points in the response of the Ministry of Health -

1) Exposure to electromagnetic waves poses a health and biological danger to students.

2) The human body’s absorption of electromagnetic waves is more harmful to children than to adults.

3) The waves cause inattention, concentration, memory loss and negative changes in children’s behavior.

4) Electromagnetism affects pacemakers implanted in the bodies of heart patients.

5) The ministry prohibits the installation of communication towers and jamming devices inside schools.

6) There is no real justification for exposing students and teachers to electromagnetic waves