“The ends justifies the means,” was the response I recently received when I spoke to a student about his cheating. I could feel the blood rush to my face as I thought about all the students who work their hardest – with some receiving great grades, and others who are simply proud to have passed knowing they gave it their best effort.
Recently in a New York Times article entitled, “The Disgraceful Cheating Scandal at One of America’s Best High Schools”, Sara Dorn and Susan Edelman dive into what has become a disgusting epidemic not only at Stuyvesant High School in New York City, but all across schools in America, including colleges. In my research I have found that cheating is no longer simply writing the formulas on a small scrap of paper or leaning over a friend’s shoulder to see what her answers are for question number three. Cheating has become much more advanced, and like everything else in society, it has now become a lucrative business. Students in high schools and colleges throughout the country can now purchase essays or papers online with the simple click of a button. Paper writing services like Propapers.com and Grademiners.com offer customized, well-written assignments supplied by an anonymous source.
In a recent survey of 24,000 students at 70 high schools, Donald McCabe of Rutgers University found that 64 percent of students admitted cheating on a test. The survey also showed 58 percent of students admitted to plagiarism and 95 percent admitted to participating in some form of cheating. 95 percent? That’s unfathomable. What is going on with the values and morals of our society today?
When visiting Schoolsucks.com, they boast of receiving 8000 hits in a day. Their disclaimer reads that the services they provide are “for critique” or “research” purposes. Are we expected to believe that? How are we, as educators and parents, supposed to teach our students and children the correct way to handle and carry themselves when a large percentage of people in society are promoting cheating? It’s a question I put out there because I can envision what this generation’s future is going to look like. I have always believed that those who take shortcuts will end up on the front page later on. In my conversations with students about similar issues, I like to tell the story of Bernard Madoff, and where greed ultimately lead him and his family. I urge parents and guardians to speak to their children about the importance of work ethic. Commend your students for the diligence and pride they take in their academic accomplishments. Offer help to those who need additional support. Provide motivation for those stuck in a rut, and remind them of the morals and values that you have done your very best to instill in them. We all are given one reputation to carry. Let it be one of honor and dignity. At St. Anthony’s, we truly believe our students are the future leaders in whatever path they choose to follow. When they graduate after spending four years with us, we want them to set the example for others. Foster that ideal. Keep challenging the need to be the best and compete fairly in life.
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