If you can't beat them, join them!

Recently, there have been many reports and statistics done in schools on cheating. The South China Morning Post has many articles relating to the issue, but some really surprised me. I know cheating happens, and will never stop, but one in five students in Hong Kong has cheated, some of which think cheating is an acceptable practice. Moreover, over half of those students surveyed will not report cheating if they catch someone in the act. This is a huge issue because it puts a huge loophole in our education system. The students that play fair and by the rules will be sucked into cheating. The student that doesn't cheat will cheat because others have an unfair advantage and to even the playing field, they cheat.

Our education system is based on academic excellence, but also academic honesty. What will happen when these people go out into the world after they finish their education? Will they find it okay to commit crimes to society? Also, the students just cheat to "pass" school, what if they can't do it without cheating in the outside world? What will happen to them. This is a huge issue that must be dealt with seriously because academic dishonesty is become frequent everywhere. This isn't just happening in Hong Kong, in fact, I'm sure it happens all the time, and everywhere.

One thing that fans this fire of this situation is that the education systems maybe ask too much of students. Why would students feel like they need to cheat? Because they feel like they cannot do it without cheating. It just seems like education boards stress students out. It almost feels like if you fail something, you fail the rest of your life. But it isn't just the education systems, it's the students too. Why cheat? It just harms them in the long run anyway? What will they do in university? Cheat their way through it too? Personally, I can't take the risk. If you can cheat through university what are you going to after? Have a cheat sheet when you become a doctor?