Sir, – The report on plagiarism at GMIT may or may not be published this week.
Any discussion or analysis of cheating at third level must be considered in the wider context of our society, government policy, and the choices we all make.
The high-profile cases that have come to light in recent years do not represent failures of the systems in place to prevent plagiarism, but rather failures of the elaborate mechanisms in place to keep it hidden. Data protection, privacy, and confidentiality are routinely invoked to protect students who cheat and those who turn a blind eye to them. Staff that attempt to address plagiarism risk sanctions and bullying.
Acceptance of cheating is an integral part of the corporate cultures and business models of many higher education institutions. Every year thousands of students enter third level lacking either the basic skills or work ethic required to succeed legitimately. An acceptance of cheating is the only way to ensure that they stay in education.
That so many of our young people go on to third level makes us all feel good. But if we want a higher education sector that produces competent, hard working, honest graduates, we may have to face reality, and find viable alternatives for those other people who have no business there. Until then, we can be genuinely shocked by cheating scandals, but not genuinely surprised. – Yours, etc,
COLIN MANNING,
Lecturer,
Department of Computing,
Cork Institute of
Technology,
Rossa Avenue, Cork.