Page Title
Editor's corner/ Over a cup of tea
Heidi M. Pascual*
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
Publisher & Editor
* 2006 Journalist of the
Year for the State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)
Student cheating and deception
Cheating in school is a daily occurrence, wherever one may be, regardless of race, creed or
country. We generally take it as a bad thing, but not that bad to incur our anger or to impose severe
penalties against those who commit them. Students themselves think that it’s normal, according to
some studies. After all, cheating in school aims to help students pass exams, get better grades in
projects or homeworks, and to get rewarded by their parents.
Authors Stephen F. David, Patrick F. Drinan and Tricia Bertram Gallant, who wrote “Cheating in
School: What we Know and What We Can Do,” admit that there are students cheating everywhere -- from
elementary to graduate school, rich and poor schools, public and private. They define cheating as “acts
committed by students that deceive, mislead or fool the teacher into thinking that the academic work
submitted by the student was a student’s own work.”
My concern is something similar, but instead of the teachers being deceived, misled or fooled, it is
the parents who are the intended victims. In the long run, the students do a disservice to themselves,
their families and their community.
As proprietress of HMP Cyber Hub and Photo Studio in Quezon City, I deal with students every day
who come for computer use, printing documents, scanning stuff, and CD burning. Not a day passes
without a number of students coming in to ask me whether I can edit their school grades, official
transcripts of records, or their registration cards. Some even ask me whether I can edit their school
receipts. Most of them will pay a high price to get their documents scanned, edited and printed on
specialty papers. They would even try to justify their actions, seeking my “help” for them to avoid their
Cheating in school is a daily occurrence, wherever one may be, regardless of race, creed or
country. We generally take it as a bad thing, but not that bad to incur our anger or to impose severe
penalties against those who commit them. Students themselves think that it’s normal, according to
some studies. After all, cheating in school aims to help students pass exams, get better grades in
projects or homeworks, and to get rewarded by their parents.
Authors Stephen F. David, Patrick F. Drinan and Tricia Bertram Gallant, who wrote “Cheating in
School: What we Know and What We Can Do,” admit that there are students cheating everywhere -- from
elementary to graduate school, rich and poor schools, public and private. They define cheating as “acts
committed by students that deceive, mislead or fool the teacher into thinking that the academic work
submitted by the student was a student’s own work.”
My concern is something similar, but instead of the teachers being deceived, misled or fooled, it is
the parents who are the intended victims. In the long run, the students do a disservice to themselves,
their families and their community.
As proprietress of HMP Cyber Hub and Photo Studio in Quezon City, I deal with students every day
who come for computer use, printing documents, scanning stuff, and CD burning. Not a day passes
without a number of students coming in to ask me whether I can edit their school grades, official
transcripts of records, or their registration cards. Some even ask me whether I can edit their school
receipts. Most of them will pay a high price to get their documents scanned, edited and printed on
specialty papers. They would even try to justify their actions, seeking my “help” for them to avoid their
they mature.
What pains me is the fact that we parents deserve
better for our sacrifices. We endure a lot for our children,
not because we expect something in return, but because
we want them to succeed and be able to stand on their
own. Most importantly, we want our children to grow as
responsible citizens and caring individuals. If they become
“cheaters,” first through small indiscretions while young
students and later, as they grow older, through huge, fully
intentional crimes (such as falsification of legal
documents), I am certain these people couldn’t be trusted
at all.
What then can we do to stop this growing monster in
our students?
First, parents should be vigilant of our children’s
school performance, regardless of their children’s school
level. Involved parents make children learn that their
parents are there to notice everything they do in school.
Second, our home environment does a lot to mold our
children’s attitudes and values. If parents “cheat” in any
way, children surely notice.
I want to do something about this, so I plan to write a
letter to heads and deans of schools, colleges and
universities surrounding my Internet Café about my
problem, and suggest that some measures be put in place
to discourage students from falsifying their school records.
Aside from parents’ meetings for this purpose, grades
should be given to the parents instead of to the students
themselves. There should also be meetings between
teachers, students and parents regularly. While I want to
trust college students now, dishonest actions such as this
discourage me from doing so.
What pains me is the fact that we parents deserve
better for our sacrifices. We endure a lot for our children,
not because we expect something in return, but because
we want them to succeed and be able to stand on their
own. Most importantly, we want our children to grow as
responsible citizens and caring individuals. If they become
“cheaters,” first through small indiscretions while young
students and later, as they grow older, through huge, fully
intentional crimes (such as falsification of legal
documents), I am certain these people couldn’t be trusted
at all.
What then can we do to stop this growing monster in
our students?
First, parents should be vigilant of our children’s
school performance, regardless of their children’s school
level. Involved parents make children learn that their
parents are there to notice everything they do in school.
Second, our home environment does a lot to mold our
children’s attitudes and values. If parents “cheat” in any
way, children surely notice.
I want to do something about this, so I plan to write a
letter to heads and deans of schools, colleges and
universities surrounding my Internet Café about my
problem, and suggest that some measures be put in place
to discourage students from falsifying their school records.
Aside from parents’ meetings for this purpose, grades
should be given to the parents instead of to the students
themselves. There should also be meetings between
teachers, students and parents regularly. While I want to
trust college students now, dishonest actions such as this
discourage me from doing so.
“parents’ wrath,” for they have failing grades, or few courses attended, or paid less for their required school fees. Horrors of horrors! I
am appalled at these students’ gall. I have grown tired of replying over and over, “No, we don’t do that here,” so I decided to print
store signs that say, “MAKE YOUR PARENTS PROUD; YOU MAKE YOUR GRADES, WE DON’T”; “SORRY, BUT WE DON’T EDIT GRADES,
TRANSCRIPTS OF RECORDS, REG. CARDS, AND THE LIKE.”
True, I am an editor, but I am not an editor in this sense! I can help students edit their work if necessary, not their official records,
for God’s sake!
I remember a very relevant conversation I had with a 70-year old taxi driver (let’s call him Mang Pedro) on my way to Manila Hotel
to attend my youngest son’s oathtaking as a physical therapist. The man initially congratulated me for my son’s successful hurdle of
the licensure exams, and then he narrated how his oldest son (let’s call him Erwin) broke his heart. A long time ago, Mang Pedro was
a seaman, and for many years sent big amounts of dollars to his family, particularly for Erwin’s medical studies. He had hoped that one
day, Erwin would be a medical doctor – the prize for a father’s sacrifice as an OFW (Overseas Foreign Worker) for many years. When
Mang Pedro came home the month of the year Erwin was scheduled to graduate, Erwin already had a “Diploma” attesting to his
graduation from the medical school. Mang Pedro was in heaven! He went back to his ship feeling “mission accomplished,” and soon
decided to retire and come home for good. Alas! He discovered why Erwin couldn’t find a job in any medically related facility – Erwin
never graduated! A thorough research revealed that Erwin had reached only second-year college, and failed miserably in many of the
courses he had attended. The “Diploma” was printed by a specialty shop along Recto Avenue in Manila, a place notorious for printing
fake school records. When Mang Pedro faced this sad reality, he felt the heavens went down upon him. In addition to his son’s
deception, Erwin made two women pregnant and escaped his responsibility by leaving the Philippines to join his girlfriend (who later
became his wife), in the U.S. Today, Mang Pedro is left with the task of taking care not only of his wife and his disabled mother-in-law,
but also of Erwin’s children out of wedlock. A sad story. A parent’s woe. A parent’s ordeal.
Cheating comes in many forms, but this form of cheating parents reaches the core of a person’s soul. What I’m saying is, students of
today are supposed to be the hopes of our motherland. They will be our future leaders. If the youths’ attitude on cheating is “it’s not a
big deal,” mark my word, these youths will be the corrupt officials of the government or the perpetrators of similar crimes, whether in
public or private sectors. They will be the robbers of our treasuries. They will have no souls, as they are now losing them slowly as
am appalled at these students’ gall. I have grown tired of replying over and over, “No, we don’t do that here,” so I decided to print
store signs that say, “MAKE YOUR PARENTS PROUD; YOU MAKE YOUR GRADES, WE DON’T”; “SORRY, BUT WE DON’T EDIT GRADES,
TRANSCRIPTS OF RECORDS, REG. CARDS, AND THE LIKE.”
True, I am an editor, but I am not an editor in this sense! I can help students edit their work if necessary, not their official records,
for God’s sake!
I remember a very relevant conversation I had with a 70-year old taxi driver (let’s call him Mang Pedro) on my way to Manila Hotel
to attend my youngest son’s oathtaking as a physical therapist. The man initially congratulated me for my son’s successful hurdle of
the licensure exams, and then he narrated how his oldest son (let’s call him Erwin) broke his heart. A long time ago, Mang Pedro was
a seaman, and for many years sent big amounts of dollars to his family, particularly for Erwin’s medical studies. He had hoped that one
day, Erwin would be a medical doctor – the prize for a father’s sacrifice as an OFW (Overseas Foreign Worker) for many years. When
Mang Pedro came home the month of the year Erwin was scheduled to graduate, Erwin already had a “Diploma” attesting to his
graduation from the medical school. Mang Pedro was in heaven! He went back to his ship feeling “mission accomplished,” and soon
decided to retire and come home for good. Alas! He discovered why Erwin couldn’t find a job in any medically related facility – Erwin
never graduated! A thorough research revealed that Erwin had reached only second-year college, and failed miserably in many of the
courses he had attended. The “Diploma” was printed by a specialty shop along Recto Avenue in Manila, a place notorious for printing
fake school records. When Mang Pedro faced this sad reality, he felt the heavens went down upon him. In addition to his son’s
deception, Erwin made two women pregnant and escaped his responsibility by leaving the Philippines to join his girlfriend (who later
became his wife), in the U.S. Today, Mang Pedro is left with the task of taking care not only of his wife and his disabled mother-in-law,
but also of Erwin’s children out of wedlock. A sad story. A parent’s woe. A parent’s ordeal.
Cheating comes in many forms, but this form of cheating parents reaches the core of a person’s soul. What I’m saying is, students of
today are supposed to be the hopes of our motherland. They will be our future leaders. If the youths’ attitude on cheating is “it’s not a
big deal,” mark my word, these youths will be the corrupt officials of the government or the perpetrators of similar crimes, whether in
public or private sectors. They will be the robbers of our treasuries. They will have no souls, as they are now losing them slowly as
