Cheating has become very common in schools. Although everyone knows that it is wrong to cheat, surveys show that almost all youngsters cheat once in high school. Educators and parents wonder what makes the learners cheat. Let us examine the possible reasons for cheating and what we can do to eliminate this vice.

Reasons for Cheating

1. Type of Exams

Some types of exams encourage learners to cheat. For instance, multiple-choice questions invite them to indulge in cheating. Many high school and middle school learners are under the wrong impression that ‘cheating’ is acceptable.

2. Unreasonable Academic Demands

Government bodies and various organizations put pressure on the education sector to improve their field. Learners have to appear for standardized exams. It helps the parents and officials to compare the schools at the national and state levels.

All this increases the burden on educators who strive hard to make their learners perform well in these exams. If the learners do not do well, the teacher is ineffective and incompetent. Therefore, the teacher aims to teach the learners to pass the exams instead of encouraging them to think.

3. Easy to Plagiarize

Earlier cheaters would write down passages from library books and encyclopedias and pass them on as their own. Now it has become easy to plagiarize. Learners can visit any website that contains info related to their topic and copy, paste the entire text, reformat it, and claim it to be their piece of writing.

Ways to Minimize or Eliminate Cheating

Implement Policies in Schools

There should be zero-tolerance for cheating in schools. There should be policies that curb the new methods adopted by the learners to cheat, especially electronic cheating. Steps have to be in place to minimize the chances of learners cheating with computer tablets and smartphones.

Role of Educators

Educators can make the teaching and learning process more absorbing and exciting. They can encourage critical thinking and creativity instead of rote learning. They should be a good role model and teach integrity.

To prevent electronic cheating and plagiarism, educators can use the plagiarism detection services offered by Turnitin.com. They should not allow the learners to bring any smart devices to the examination halls.

They should check if learners have any hidden notes with them. They must be vigilant and deal accurately with all the possible ways of cheating that exist around them.

Role of Parents

Children learn a lot from their parents and follow in their footsteps. So, it is the responsibility of the parents to be good role models. They should examine everything with their kids and participate in their school work.

Role of Learners

Learners should develop their sense of values and not be led away by peer pressure. They must understand the reason why it is wrong to cheat. They must realize that they can never feel a sense of achievement if they acquire something by cheating.