The Ghanaian media have been fighting forever to get a Freedom of Information Bill passed. And to this day even the so-called fourth estate has not been able to get this dear wish of theirs come to pass.

In advanced democracies though, Freedom of Information is a matter of course law. However, a German student has thought of an ingenious, never before envisioned possible use for the act.

Every student hopes to get exam questions beforehand; Simon Schrader is actually doing something about it. The 17 year old student wrote to the education ministry for “the task of the centrally-made Abitur examinations in the senior classes of high school in the current school year”

His request invoked the state’s Freedom of Information Law, giving the Ministry them the legally mandated one month deadline to respond to his request. He told the Guardian he doesn’t expect the request to be granted.

“I did think beforehand that they probably wouldn’t send me the exams. I’m already revising, and I’m not relying on them to get back to me.

I thought it was worth a try; I just wanted to see what they would say”

So far there’s been no response, although the Ministry has acknowledged receipt, and said that the request is being processed. The one month deadline ends on 21 April.

Successful or not, that’s a little genius idea.