I'm sure there are some lessons to be learned from cultural differences but I think that article paints kind of a rosy picture. I met a French woman who had teenaged kids and complained about how French parents can't control their kids anymore. She said it's a big problem because French parents are so permissive. She told me an example claiming it is common practice for high school sweethearts to practically move in with each other. The parents can't/won't kick out the boyfriend or girlfriend because it would seem mean, I guess, or their child would have a meltdown or something. It's a weird anecdote but it seems to undermine the narrative that French parents are naturally adept at setting boundaries for their kids. Anybody see Haneke's Cache or Code Unknown? Or 400 Blows? Or Laurent Cantet's The Class? French cinema, at least, does not depict French parenting as perfect.
This is a favorite hobby of the British press. They take some EU document out of context, exaggerate its premise and scope, then call it "health and safety gone mad."
Bluffing or not, the cheaters' ultimate plans were foiled. Big fail. Blaming the school and/or professors for the cheating is a red herring. Your criticisms might be accurate (and I agree with all of them) but have nothing to do with the students' actions themselves. It was a systemic problem and the school and professor chose to handle it as such rather than singling out students. Now they might take a look at being lazy and rote with test banks and multiple choice tests. But to blame them for it happening is like blaming a woman for getting attacked because she dressed provocatively.
http://youtu.be/wnd1jKcfBRE
http://youtu.be/wS9j4bxqDwo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaDJdHPykEA