Comment: End scandal of student cheats

Jan 16 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

CHEATING, whether it occurs on the sportsfield or the classroom, is an abhorrent practice. Yet, as today’s Liverpool Daily Post reveals, hundreds of Merseyside students are regularly and brazenly cheating their way through university – paying thous- ands of pounds to get degree coursework written for them, ensuring they pass.

It appears that the increased pressure on gaining a high quality degree, together with debt issues faced by many students, has led to the boom in this underhand industry.

It effectively provides key coursework, and even final dissertations for those unwilling, unable or simply too idle, to do their own work.

One company, which sells its work to students, promises a minimum 2:1 grade or a full refund.

The number of students across the region caught cheating has fallen, according to latest figures.

Now Liverpool universities are promising a major crackdown on those caught using the sites to “buy” degrees.

Professor Drummond Bone, vice-chan- cellor at the University of Liverpool, rightly points out such plagiarism de- values the efforts of those students who legitimately toil to gain their grades. And the university is now giving staff courses so they can identify web cheats.

Such action is to be applauded: there is no excuse for cheats, and there should certainly be no opportunity for these firms to ply their trades so easily.

The law must be tightened, any loopholes closed, and the anti-cheat message must be reinforced to those about to embark on university life.

Students who buy their work are cheating themselves, their university, their family, and – most importantly – prospective employers who are prepared to take on these young people and invest in them, on the strength of their degrees.

Until this underhand trade is halted, it will be difficult for companies to have confidence in the fresh-faced graduates they interview for jobs.