New Delhi (CNN)The quest to be educated in India has literally scaled new heights.

Images of parents and family members clambering up school buildings and clinging on window ledges to pass cheat sheets to their children have left authorities in despair.

The incident took place on Wednesday in the state of Bihar, where students were writing their year-end grade 10 examinations.

Examples of cheating incidents are not hard to find in India. But, even compared to previous events, this seems to be unprecedented in its blatancy.

Bihar Education Minister PK Shahi told reporters that children won't learn if they're constantly helped by family members. "Government can only hold fair examinations with the help of the parents, society and the children," he said. "This is a collective responsibility."

In a developing economy like India, education is a precious commodity.

With more than 1.2 billion people, proper schooling could hold the key for much of the population to get out of a vicious cycle of poverty.

The flaws in India's education system are well-documented. The country has a literacy rate of only 74%, compared to 95% in China. Women suffer particularly badly here; only 64% have formal education.

Earlier this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide campaign urging parents to send their children, especially daughters, to school and properly educate them.

According to the United Nations, India has the largest youth population in the world, with more than a quarter of citizens aged between 10 and 24.


Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/20/asia/india-cheating-parents-school-tests/index.html