Officials of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), a Geneva-based body offering a highly respected educational diploma, said yesterday that IBO representatives would supervise examinations in Greece this May and change the way test papers are distributed to avert a repeat of last year when a teacher leaked examination answers to students.

“We will definitely send a representative to exams this May,” visiting regional IB official Adrian Kearney told Kathimerini.

Kearney also heralded the introduction of “a new system for the distribution of IB test papers to ensure that access to them before examinations is impossible.” According to sources, the test papers will no longer be delivered to schools ahead of the exams, as has been the case to date, but will be sent to a central collection point and delivered by courier to the schools on the day of the exams.

In addition, all schools will be asked to start their IB examinations at the same time.

The IBO officials announced the changes following talks in Athens with the heads of the 13 private schools that offer the IB program to students in Greece.

Last August the IBO revoked the operating license of the Ziridis School, which had also been offering the IB diploma, following claims that one of its teachers had leaked exam answers to students ahead of tests last May.

The school has taken legal action against the teacher in question.