Cheating in Education Today

In the paragraph: “Universities Simply Have to Do Better” of Maclean in Cultures in Contrast: Student Life at U.S Colleges and Universities by Myra Shulman, the author claims that universities seem to value their integrity more than students’ appropriateness and achievement by showing that students still received graduation certificates even though they have cheated on their papers. The author indicates that cheating can be in several types: copying work or on exams, and this issue has increased over the years.

The writer also points out the reasons students cheat and emphasizes that colleges and universities are responsible for any academic deception. He/she argues that institutions usually ignore the dishonesty in universities while talking about how crucial honesty is. Universities do not have any severe punishment or a practical solution for cheating problems. In the end, the author concludes that if those institutions or universities do not try harder to prevent the problem, it will affect other honorable students or the trust of employers, who might consider university degrees no longer consistent.

This article was excerpted from a larger article originally published in the Canadian magazine Maclean’s on February 12, 2007. It was entitled “The Great University Cheating Scandal” and was written by Cathy Gulli, Nicholas Kohler, and Marin Patriquin. Maclean’s is a reputable publication, “reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events” (Wikipedia). The magazine has won several National Magazine Awards as well as receiving a Michener Award honorable mention in 1998 for investigative reporting. Maclean’s has been in existence for over 100 years, and it is published monthly in print and weekly in a digital version. Maclean’s is known for its Guide to Canadian Universities which includes university rankings, published annually in March.

Deception is a controversial topic in education, which becomes more common these days. This is an infection that needs curing to assure the academic learning in universities.

Cheating in colleges and universities can occur for various reasons. One of them is the immense pressure of parents, peers, or society upon students. As the author mentioned, students worry about their future career and whether they are going to get an ideal job with a stable salary or not. Nowadays, the more graduated bachelors, the more competitive employment opportunities are. These might make an invisible burden on students to succeed and point them to a wrong path. Some students plagiarize in their papers because it delivers their parents and themselves satisfaction with high scores.

However, students go to institutions to acquire knowledge and skills associated with the job that they want to do in the future. Cheating might create an illusion about students’ proficiency, and help students through college time, but they will need to utilize what they have obtained from schools in real life. Imagine a cheating student becoming a teacher. How can they educate their country’s new generation when they cannot even pass a test themselves? Who can put their trust in a doctor who cheats his way through school? If people are thinking about cheating in colleges, they might have to rethink it because what they get after graduation is a paper with good grades but no real understanding or skills. Moreover, colleges and universities are expensive; it is not worth trading their money for nothing.

Consequences are an issue in institutions. Each professor has his or her distinct types of punishment. Some instructors only give students a warning and let them retake the exam. Students might not receive the lesson if they find out there is no serious penalty and will relapse. Therefore, teachers should give them a strict punishment if they still cheat again after the first time. Students should learn to take their chances and responsibility.

In conclusion, cheating in education is swiftly increasing around the world. The best solution for that is to educate children about responsibility beginning at an early stage or creating stringent rules about dishonesty in universities or colleges

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