The three teachers were Nguyen Thi Thu Loan, 40, teacher of Lac Long Quan High School, Nguyen Thi Hong Chung, 39, teacher of Ngo Quyen High Schook and Bui Thanh Tra, 39, teacher of Luong Son High School.

They have been charged with abusing power while performing their duties.

According to police, the three teachers illicitly increased the scores of some pupils' literature tests during the marking of test papers.

The scandal was brought to light when Hoa Binh and Son La provinces' maths scores were found to be some of the highest in the country in the 2018 high school exams.

The percentages were much higher than the national rate and of localities with better academic performances historically.

The results exams were used for university admittance decisions.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) re-marked 140 tests from 56 students and concluded their original scores had been modified upward.

The final marks had gaps ranging by between 0.2 and 9.25 points from their actual scores. The maximum score on each individual test is 10. One student had their total score increased by 26.45 points.

All of the modified test results will be dismissed.

Last month, the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy to launch legal proceeding against three people accused of abusing their positions to manipulate students’ results in last year’s National High School Exam.

They are Nguyen Quang Vinh, former head of the Division of Examination and Quality Management under the Hoa Binh Department of Education and Training; Nguyen Khac Tuan, the division official and Do Manh Tuan, vice principal of the Lac Thuy District Boarding Secondary School and Boarding High School. — VNS