There's a lot of discussion in our country about education. Debates continue about public and private schools, which ones are better, should vouchers be an option.
One area that concerns me is the increased plagiarism that's taking place among today's students. I've been teaching for more than seven years and continue to see an increase in the instances of plagiarism. Now, I've just read that many students are buying papers instead of making an effort to write them. I've caught a few students attempting to submit bought papers, but was hoping this wasn't a trend. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hPzGjoFyb4Nu_9ZbtQcJU6aRjhhQ) Not good!
I can certainly say that when I was in school, "buying" a paper wasn't an option for myself or my friends. Not only did the thought not enter our conscience, but we didn't have the money to do so. In addition, we would have feared the consequences of getting caught.
In a time when North American students will be competing fiercely with students from around the world, buying paper does them a grave disservice on many levels. Today's students need to understand that their geographic location won't necessarily give them a competitive advantage for the workplace in a world of increasing offshore outsourcing. Now is the time for them to do their best, because as President Obama recently said, not everyone will be a celebrity...and from what I see on TV these days, hopefully not every one wants to be.
