EDITORIAL - Stop online cheating

Philippine National Police chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar has ordered his Anti-Cybercrime Group to coordinate with the Department of Education following allegations of cheating by students using online distance learning.

According to reports, someone created a social media page where students could share answers to certain tests. It is for students a more modern version of copying their seatmate’s answer or homework.

Cheating is going on online? Really? No big surprise there. Even before the pandemic it is not farfetched to say there was some form of cheating in our schools. So when schools moved to the internet it was only natural that cheating should follow online also. 

Some students may feel that they are justified in cheating. Others are doing it, so why shouldn’t I? I am at a disadvantage compared to others, so why shouldn’t I? My parents did this before, so why shouldn’t I? Among other reasons.

They fail to realize that if they rely on cheating to pass, that means they will have learned next to nothing if not nothing at all in their classes. And when they graduate it will be as empty husks with nothing substantial in the noggin.

What are the consequences of producing mediocre students? Or students who cannot solve certain problems? Or students who cannot think of different approaches to various situations? A country that will soon be in decline, that’s what.

These students right now are tomorrow’s government officials, lawyers, doctors, nurses, office workers, scientists, soldiers, etc. They will be fielded to practically every kind of white-collar or blue-collar job and occupations of all stripes.

If they lack certain knowledge, skills, or disciplines that means they can only do their job to a certain level and no more. Imagine an entire generation of people who aren’t up to par in what they are supposed to be good at, and what they are assigned to.

The PNP and the DepEd must find and stop online cheating. Easier said than done, we know. But the consequences of failing to do so are more far-reaching than what many of us realize.