Cheating on an Industrial Scale at What were Once “Australian” Universities, By James Reed

The article "International Student Cheating Trashes Universities"

https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/03/international-student-cheating-trashes-universities/

highlights a systemic issue within Australia's higher education sector, linking the proliferation of cheating to the influx of international students. It begins by noting the prestigious global rankings of Australian universities—such as the University of Melbourne (47th), University of Sydney (60th), and Monash University (63rd) in the 2025 Times Higher Education Reputation Rankings—only to argue that these standings mask a rotting core. The piece asserts that academic integrity has been sacrificed for financial gain, with cheating scandals undermining the reputation of these institutions.

The article cites a specific incident at the University of Sydney, where an email titled "allegation of serious academic misconduct" was sent to students in late 2024, accusing them of submitting assignments completed by third parties during an exam. This incident, involving hundreds of students, exemplifies a broader trend of "contract cheating"—where students pay external services to complete their work. The piece connects this to the pressures of maintaining high international student numbers, suggesting universities turn a blind eye to maintain revenue streams.

The primary scam involves students outsourcing assignments, essays, or exams to third-party services, often advertised as "academic help" or "tutoring." These services produce custom work, making it harder to detect than traditional plagiarism.

The University of Sydney case in late 2024 involved students submitting third-party work during an exam, as reported in the March 11, 2025, article. Earlier Macrobusiness posts (e.g., "International Students Caught in New Mass Cheating Scandal," September 19, 2022) describe "ghost writing" scandals, particularly among Chinese students with poor English proficiency.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) identified over 2,000 commercial cheating websites in 2022, with nearly 600 targeting Australian students specifically ("International Student Cheating Prolific at Australian Universities," July 31, 2022).

Some international students bypass English proficiency requirements by using "fake sitters" or fraudulent test results to secure visas and university admission.

A 2014 BBC Panorama investigation, referenced in "International Students Engulfed in English Cheating Scandal" (June 13, 2019), exposed systemic visa fraud in the UK, with parallels in Australia. Over 50,000 English tests were invalidated by the British Home Office, hinting at similar vulnerabilities in Australia's system.

The March 11, 2025, article implies that lax entry standards exacerbate this, as universities prioritise fee-paying students over language competency.

Universities allegedly pressure academics to pass underperforming students, especially internationals, to avoid financial losses from dropouts or visa cancellations.

"International Student Cheating Is Systemic" (September 17, 2024) reports academics being precluded from failing students to protect the "sausage-factory business model." The March 11 article suggests this creates a feedback loop where cheating becomes a crutch for students who can't meet standards.

Domestic students are paired with international students in group work, often completing the bulk of the tasks to compensate for language or skill deficits, indirectly enabling cheating.

Evidence: "Australia's International Student Ponzi Scheme Unmasked" (July 12, 2023) notes domestic students "carrying" non-English-speaking-background (NESB) students, cross-subsidising their marks.

Websites heavily advertise on social media, targeting Australian students with promises of undetectable, bespoke work. The 2022 TEQSA list underscores their proliferation ("International Student Cheating Prolific," July 31, 2022).

The March 11, 2025, article and earlier posts (e.g., "International Students Caught in New Mass Cheating Scandal," September 19, 2022) argue that universities admit students with inadequate English skills, driving them to cheat. This is linked to generous visa work rights and permanent residency pathways incentivising enrolment over education.

Universities rely heavily on international student fees—doubling to over 600,000 students in six years pre-2019 ("There's No Excuse for International Students Cheating," July 22, 2019). This dependency discourages rigorous enforcement of academic standards.

AI and digital platforms facilitate cheating, with tools producing high-quality, original content quickly, as noted in broader academic integrity discussions (e.g., AI writing capabilities).

Macrobusiness traces cheating scandals back over a decade. "A Decade of International Student Cheating Scandals" (September 10, 2024) cites a 2000 percent rise in university cheating from 2013 to 2019, correlating with a 327,000 (89 percent) increase in international student enrolments ("International Students Trigger 2000 percent Rise in University Cheating," August 21, 2019).

The University of Sydney's 2024 incident involved "hundreds" of students, while a 2014 Fairfax report implicated "functionally illiterate" Chinese students in a contract cheating racket ("International Students Drive University Cheating Boom," April 8, 2019).

The March 11, 2025, article warns that Australia's university rankings are at risk as cheating erodes credibility. Domestic students suffer from diluted education quality, and graduates' degrees lose value amid doubts about authenticity. And simply being eliminated.

The cheating scams reflect a deeper structural issue: Australia's higher education system has morphed into an "immigration racket," as Macrobusiness often claims (e.g., "Australia's International Student Ponzi Scheme Unmasked," July 12, 2023). Universities, incentivised by fees and rankings, admit underqualified students, creating a market for cheating services. The establishment narrative—pushing more international students as an economic boon—ignores this dark underbelly.

The cheating scams—contract cheating, test fraud, soft marking, and group work exploitation—thrive on lax standards, financial pressures, and technological ease. The March 11, 2025, Macrobusiness article frames this as a crisis trashing Australia's universities, a view echoed across years of its reporting.

The rot of the universities is deep, but even the freedom movement is timid about taking these corrupt institutions on. None of my emails ever get answer by the "leaders." For some reason they cannot, or will not see the herd of elephants in the room, much as with race and immigration issues.