Why Not Cheat at University? Matt Forney on the Great Plagiarism Industry By James Reed

     Thanks to John Steele who spends some time when he goes into the big smoke away from his comfy tent in the scrub, reading all of the neo-masculinity stuff, and submitting comments under the pen name, “Crazy Old Conan the Hyper-Barbarian.” Here is Matt Forney, from the US, indicating that the problem of the universities  is global, or at least in the West. Certainly, Australian universities, which are nothing more than degree clearing houses for foreign students, are plagued with the plagiarism problem … no pandemic.
  https://mattforney.com/college-plagiarism/

“Why have academic essay writing services become so popular in recent years? The answer can be seen in the changing demographics of college students. In the past, the only people who went to college were those who could afford it or those who sought to work in specific fields that required advanced knowledge. Because of this, plagiarism was far lower due to the college population being largely comprised of people who wanted to be there and were dedicated to their studies. With the entrance of the general population into the university system, there are now many students who don’t care about learning and simply want to earn a degree as easily as possible. These students turn to essay mills because they aren’t interested in their studies and want to spend their college years partying and slacking off. In addition to this, a large increase in foreign students is partially responsible for the popularity of plagiarism services. Many foreign students arrive at college woefully underprepared for the rigors of university study. A good portion of them cannot even speak English fluently. Essay mills help these students pass courses that they have been shunted into by their parents or society at large despite doing little to prepare them for the harshness of university life.

Finally, the Western emphasis on test scores and grades helps fuel much of the interest in essay services. GPAs are the final arbiter of a student’s achievement in college, and because of this, many students focus on earning high marks instead of actually learning material. It is possible for students to game the system by outsourcing their work to a ghostwriter instead of doing it themselves because both result in good grades, and as far as professors and employers go, grades are all that matter. As an addendum to this, the increasing popularity of fly-by-night online colleges offering bunk degrees in business and the like is another motivator for plagiarism. Many students enrolled in these shady institutions are from lower income brackets and minority groups, working multiple jobs and raising families, and they often turn to essay services because they lack the time to do their own work and they are ill-prepared to deal with the exploitative nature of these “universities.””

     It is obvious that academic cheating goes on when foreign students who can barely speak English, turn out polished essays and research reports. As well, go to any Australian university and observe the study areas, where groups of students, most foreign, but plenty of Aussies too, polish off assignments in all disciplines, including mathematics, all colluding together. It is being done right under the noses of the universities now, as we read. Trust me on this one, for I have put on my PI gear, including trench coat and hat, and mingled with the sheep just to see what they are regurgitating.

     And I do not care. At this late date, anything that pulls down evil institutions, should not be opposed. Thus, I believe that foreign students should be given value for money, and simply should pay for their degrees, with no work needed at all, not even needing to come to Australia. So what if bridges fall down, or satellites plunge to the ground? As the universities are all about money, not truth, an ideal long ago abandoned, these dark entities should be consistent, and go all the way. That much easier to close them down. Sacked academics will be offered jobs (and in no way taking away Centrelink benefits, as is done now) working with picks and shovels on outback roads, working in summer so that they can catch up on their vitamin D3, because we care.