Penrith High HSC students under investigation over Department of Education computer system hack

EXCLUSIVE: Students from a high school in Sydney’s West have allegedly hacked into the Department of Education’s computer system in an attempt to alter HSC marks.

STUDENTS from Penrith High School have allegedly hacked into the Department of Education’s computer system in an attempt to alter HSC assessment marks.

The Board of Studies confirmed it was investigating a security breach allegedly involving mark-tampering at Penrith High, a prestigious selective school ranked in the top 35 in NSW on the basis of last year’s results.

It is alleged a group of Year 12 students obtained a teacher’s login details to hack into the online database in a bid to change assessment marks, which account for 50 per cent of a student’s final HSC result.

The Penrith Press was contacted by an anonymous whistleblower who claimed up to 10 students were questioned about the incident.

The breach has raised questions about whether the Department of Education has wider problems concerning the secure storage of critical information on its computer systems.

Penrith High School is a prestigious selective

The Department of Education confirmed it had launched a comprehensive investigation. A number of students at the school have already been disciplined.

It is not known if the students were successful in altering any marks.

A Department of Education spokesman confirmed that “a small number of students” had accessed the computer system but it was not clear how the teacher’s login details were obtained.

“Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards has received an allegation about school assessment marks,” the spokesman confirmed.

“Any allegation that is made to BOSTES is taken seriously, and a comprehensive investigation is underway. Penrith High School has taken appropriate disciplinary action against a small number of students who accessed the computer systems using a teacher’s login.”

Students at Penrith High School recently sat their trial HSC exams.

It is not clear how the teacher’s login details were obtained.

A source told the Penrith Press the students accused of accessing the login could have potentially altered their assessment marks, along with other students’ results, through an online reporting portal used by teachers called Sentral.

The source said while it was not easy for someone to doctor their marks and to navigate the system, it was possible to change data.

If undetected, the alleged security breach could have had major consequences given 50 per cent of a student’s ultimate mark is made up of their school assessment results prior to sitting their final exam.

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However, the Education Department said the integrity of the 2015 HSC results was not in question.

“Students can be assured that stringent assessment and exam rules and procedures are applied by BOSTES to ensure the HSC’s fairness and integrity. If the allegation is substantiated, BOSTES will act to ensure no student is disadvantaged, and the examination process remains fair,” he said.

The Sentral online system was launched in 2006. According to the company’s website, it is used by 1500 schools across the country and allows educators to access the portal from school or home on any device.

Penrith Selective High School.

Its website says: “Sentral takes care of the maintenance, management, development, and backup, of school administration and student management data. This frees school staff (up).”

Teachers submit their students’ assessment marks directly to the system, which the Department of Education and Teaching, and BOSTES, are able to access.

“Penrith High School has assured BOSTES that the correct and true marks will be submitted,” the spokesman said.

“The school is looking into the matter and is working with the BOSTES. BOSTES reminds students that there are severe penalties for cheating in the HSC. They may receive zero marks for a school assessment or zero marks for an exam.”

The final HSC exams start on Monday, October 12. The students under investigation will be allowed to sit exams at the school.

Penrith High School directed calls on the matter to the Department of Education.