You Cheater! Cheating is common from secondary school to university: respondents
FAHMIA AL-FOTIH YEMEN TIMES STAFF Our prophet (peace and blessing upon him) has said, Who has cheated us is not from our community. Indeed, cheating has traditionally been seen a shameful way to gain something undeserved. But a Yemen Times survey shows cheating is in fact widespread among students who responded. Taking a closer look at the problem, and how to deal with it, the Times asked questions of both students and teachers at various levels. Here are the responses. At school: Nabil, student, 9th grade: There is nothing wrong with cheating, as it is a kind of cooperation between students. In short, I consider cheating the essence of life. Ahmed, 10th grade: Cheating is so beautiful, he said concisely. Wedad Al- graash 11th grade: I am against openly cheating as it raises some people who do not deserve. Sometimes one needs only one word and he is known to be studious, so I think a little help does not harm. I think girls are more likely to cheat as they can hide their cheating in unexpected places, she added. Ahmed, 9th grade: Everybody likes cheating nowadays for it helps him to pass easily. I have known many techniques for cheating through which students can exchange cheating without supervisors finding out, he said. Boys and girls are the same in cheating. Even the teachers themselves have ensured me that they once cheated, he added. Yahia Al-Agrie 11th grade: Cheating is a negative phenomenon that has spread among students, both girls and boys in schools and universities, and it has become necessary to pass. I can imagine how disappointed the teachers will be when they see their students cheating, he said. Some students become professionals in the cheating art. I always see some students cheating, but I myself (without pride) avoid it and depend upon my own efforts. My hope is not to see cheating, and I ask every student to depend on himself, he added.
Ayda Al-Snabani, Arabic teacher: I don’t like cheating, as it is not of the Islamic view. However, giving a hints, not really the answer, is somehow acceptable, she said. At the end, the cheater deceives himself. Mukhtar Al-Dubaee, Mathematics teacher: I think this phenomenon has been increasing and that is because there are no strict rules to prevent it. Most students resort to cheating as they intentionally ignore their subjects. What helps students to cheat is when a supervisor is a woman who is known as gentle and won’t give punishment. As a Mathematics teacher, I believe that students have no chance to cheat in examination of scientific subjects. Of course, students prefer objective tests, which enable them to cheat easily. Fairoze, preschool teacher: In my opinion, ignorance of teachers for their subjects is one of the primary reasons for cheating, as well as students lacking self-confidence, she said. Hadi Al-Argi: Arabic teacher said Cheating nowadays is different from our time. Students of these days leave the traditional ways behind. They have technology like mobiles, headphones and microcomputers that defiantly help them cheat. Certainly, subjective test are more likely to be cheated in, and girls and boys are alike in their cheating techniques. However, because of the glorious outlook of our society on women, girls are seldom caught cheating, specially if the superintendent is a man, he added. Redhwan Masoud: The head of students union- level 2 English department: I don’t cheat myself and I can hardly see students of university cheating with each other for applying more strict rules. However, if the cheater has passed once, he will reach a special level where he cannot cheat any more. Even if he were lucky, he would graduate with an empty mind and as an unskillful person, then be a failing doctor or an unsuccessful teacher, he said. In my opinion, we can arrange seminars through which we can give a lecture and advice to students about the risks of cheating that affect not only them but society. Asma Al-Grade student-level 2 Quran department: I think that cheating is widespread among boys who waste their time and don’t care about studies, forgetting the saying of our prophet that who has deceived us is not from our society, she said. The family, mosque and educational system are responsible to stop this unacceptable behavior, she added. Esam Al-Shaiab student level 4- English department said:Cheating is less remarkable at university than lower schools, and among students who don’t study hard. In my opinion, girls are more likely to cheat. Emad Al-Salahi level 3 Chemistry department: All of us cheat during examinations, especially if the exam is objective in various ways. The problem is that most of students have not studied from the beginning of the year, and they came to be tested hoping that they can cheat. In addition, there is an extensive curriculum that we have to study, and there is ignorance among teachers when we ask them about a mysterious point in the subject. In such circumstances, I am in favor of cheating. I think that girls have a chance to cheat more in a way, because no one can suspect them, he added. Mohammed Al-Sanafi Islamic culture teacher: I hate cheating in whatever shape and type, as I myself was a victim. I have suffered from being a cheater and I was deprived from three subjects, he said. There are many laboratories for coping that allow students to minimize the subject and make tiny papers. Boys and girls are the same when they cheat. More cheating happens in the objective test. The best solution is the teacher and students should live with a conscience, he added. Gamila al- Wadee, history and geography teacher: Of course, I am completely against cheating. Students who cheat feel so proud that they have tricked the observers, she said. These days when I ask one of my students why he has not answered a particular question, he answers frankly that he hasn’t had a chance to cheat instead of saying he didn’t have the chance to study well. Abdu-al-Latif Abdullah the headmaster of Al-Ekleel school, said cheating has spread widely in recent years and in different educational levels. The main reasons are careless students and parents who do not keep contact continuously with their children’s school and school work, he said. In my opinion boys are more likely to cheat as they enjoy playing outside and not paying attention to their studies, whereas girls are interested in their studies. We can solve this problem by asking parents to observe their children at home and keep a constant connection between school and home. Finally pay attention to the behavior of children. At University Ebtihag, Philosophy department level 3: There is no chance to cheat with each other as the students of our department are few. During examinations, one is far from another. I think the teacher himself forces students to cheat if he does not have a good relationship that makes students respect him and love his subject. In my opinion, boys are more likely to cheat as girls are shy and don’t dare as much as boys. Abd-Al-Ghani Al-Ahagri, a reader: I have never practiced cheating, as I used to be smart student. Indeed, I have seen students who used to cheat and ask clever ones to help them, whereas here in university, I haven’t noticed that custom yet. he said. In my opinion, these who try to cheat usually find difficulty to understand much very easily, and they cannot memorize easily. I think we have to give solutions. Psychological view Dr. Saber Al-Zeibary, Educational psychology department: He started with a saying from our prophet (P&BUH), that cheating is not from our Muslim community. He defined cheating as a negative behavior that is common among students who are in different educational levels with various ways and means. There is no harmony between a students desire to get marks and his/her knowledgeable skills and abilities that can help him. As teachers and parents we have to face this phenomenon and lesson its dissemination, he said. There needs to be recommendations and guidance for students about the risks of this psychological, sociable, and educational phenomenon which represents deviation that cannot be acceptable in any way. Dr. Arwa Al-Nagger, Educational Psychology science department Sana’a University She said it is a mistake to define cheating as something that appears and then disappears. She said it’s a pity it’s such a widespread custom among our students. We can prevent the rise of this custom from the beginning, i.e. from the personal life of child as the parents train him how to be honest and learn how to respect the law of Allah, who always watches him. The parents should plant the Islamic morals and principles in their child and make him understand that cheating equals stealing, she said. These who love to cheat often do not love study or they love simplicity instead. Those students often have no confidence in their abilities and capabilities or the hard economic conditions that play an important role and which force some student to cheat in order to graduate as soon possible, to find a work and get a living. Thus a lot of unqualified and morally graduate students are allowed to destroy society instead of build it, she commented. Psychologically, cheaters are unbalanced, not confident, and less ambitious as people. On the other hand the students who don’t cheat are right balanced, confident and ambitious people. Those who are found to be cheaters have to be punished, by depriving them not only ofmore than one or two subjects, but of studying for two years, as well. If they cheat again, they should be kept from entering Yemeni university, she recommended
