Change in policy would have encouraged cheating

The 2009/2010 school year at Colony High began with a subtle controversy concerning academic dishonesty. The school policy of dealing with academic dishonesty had changed dramatically over the summer. A first-time offender would receive two days in-school-suspension and an opportunity to redo the assignment at the teacher’s specified convenience. Any following offenses would receive three days out-of-school-suspension and, again, an opportunity to redo the assignment at the teacher’s specified convenience. This differed wildly from last year’s policy, and the current policy as it has since been changed, where first-time offenders would be given a zero for the assignment, and any following offenses would result in a lost credit for the class.

This new policy was certainly puzzling. It would seem far more advantageous for all parties to discourage students from cheating, rather than encourage it which was exactly what the changed policy supported. If the administration was seeking to offer students a second chance with this policy, they have only succeeded in offering them an easier path to pass a class. A student, particularly a senior, in need of a class for graduation, would see the obvious advantage for them to cheat. If they had almost no grasp of the material, it would almost be worth getting caught, in order to ensure two more days to pore over the material.

The administration has since repealed the policy, thankfully, due to outrage among the staff, but it remains curious that there was any change in policy at all. With the rise and abuse of technology, cheaters have become more difficult to catch, and cheating has become more frequent. The change to a more relaxed policy ignites some questions: What good would have come of this new policy? If students don’t learn the importance of honesty in high school, where the stakes are low, how will they ever pick themselves back up if they are suddenly faced with the far more serious consequences of cheating in college or the workforce? Character is a difficult trait to teach, but school should be the one institution that teaches students to think for themselves. This is an institution that is responsible for forming the character of future generations, and teaching students that their integrity and knowledge should never be compromised is one of the most important values in our culture.

I applaud the administration and staff at Colony High for making the right choice in rescinding the softened cheating policy back to what it was previously. High school is a time for students to be prepared for college and the real world through the material they learn, and more importantly, the life lessons they are taught. And to learn that personal integrity is never something to compromise is one of the most important lessons high school can teach us. Ultimately, we should remember we are not attending school for a grade point average, but for knowledge that will serve us throughout various paths of life.

Briana Murphy is a senior at Colony HIgh School.