環(huán)球英語 1214 Cheating in Schools

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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.

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And I’m Nick Page. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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In July, 2011, the Governor of the state of Georgia, in the United States, released a report. This report described a wide-spread system of cheating. The cheating spread through the whole school system in the large city of Atlanta. The report examined 56 schools. Investigators found cheating in 44 of these schools. Teachers from these schools organized parties they called “cheating parties”. During these “cheating parties,” teachers opened students’ tests. They changed the wrong answers to be correct. Then they sent in the students’ tests.

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Investigators believe that leaders in the school system encouraged these teachers to cheat. They say the leaders even punished teachers who did not want to cheat. Teachers could not tell anyone about the cheating. The report said the cheating had been happening for almost ten years. One-hundred-seventy-eight teachers and other educators were involved in this cheating. People all over the state were shocked and angry at the behavior of the teachers.

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Cheating is a problem in schools around the world. Sometimes the cheating happens in a small way - from one student to another. But cheating can also be a problem throughout a school, or even a state or country! Today’s Spotlight is on cheating in schools.

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It was near the end of the school term in Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya. At this time all sixth graders take a national examination. Alifah Achmad Maulana was one student who took this test.

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After his examination, Alifah returned home from school and was very quiet. His mother, Siami, noticed that something about Alifah had changed. She asked him what was wrong. Alifah explained that someone had asked him to cheat on his test. Siami told NPR:

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“My son said, ‘Mom, I am afraid. I was threatened. My teachers said, Alifah, you are an intelligent boy. Use your intelligence to help your classmates. If you do not help them, you may not succeed in later life.’”

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Alifah’s teachers told him to leave the class room during the test. They told him to put a copy of his answers in a nearby place. Then his classmates could find the answers and use them on the test. Alifah did what they asked. Siami was sad for her son. She was disappointed in him. She told NPR:

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“I told Alifah ‘If you cheat now, and if you become an official in the future, you will cheat then. If that is your future, I would not want a son like you.”

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Siami decided to report the cheating. She wanted everyone to know what teachers had asked her son to do. She told Alifah’s story to local authorities. She talked to a local radio station. Soon, the story spread through Indonesia - and even to the world.

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Many people were angry about the cheating. But not all of them were angry at the teachers. Some people were angry at Siami and Alifah! Local people and parents of students protested outside of Alifah and Siami’s home. Many of the protesters claimed that reporting the cheating was bad for their students. The protests became dangerous for Alifah and his family. Police brought them to a safe area.

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Local government investigated the claims of cheating. NPR reports that as a result of this investigation, two teachers, and one school leader were suspended. They were not permitted to teach for a period of time.

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This kind of cheating is not limited to Indonesia. In places all over the world, students are faced with cheating every day. One student may want to copy work from another student to improve his test marks. Good test marks may help him get into a better school. This better education can help the student get a better job, with more money.

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School leaders and teachers may ask students to cheat. They may want to improve a school’s general test results. Good test results at a school can make the school seem more successful. Parents want their children to attend successful schools. And sometimes governments give money to the most successful schools. This was the case in Atlanta.

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There are many ways to cheat. And in some cases, people may even wonder if what they are doing is cheating. David K Jordan teaches at the University of California, San Diego. As a professor, he has policies and rules against cheating. Many of his policies are similar to other anti-cheating policies for schools everywhere. Professor Jordan sets out helpful information concerning cheating on his University’s website.

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Professor Jordan writes that acting as if someone else’s work is your own work is cheating. This includes things like copying answers from another person’s test.

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Changing information is also cheating. A person should not describe something in a false way to prove a point.

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If a person lies to gain a good result, this is also cheating. For example, if a person acts as if she has a disability to gain more time to take a test, this is cheating.

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Professor Jordan also says that helping a person do any of these things is also cheating.

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There are many other ways to cheat. But are any of them worth it? Many people feel a deep sense of shame when they cheat. They know it is wrong. Even if they do not immediately feel shame, they may feel it later - even years later. They may feel that they do not deserve the good things they gained from cheating.

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In Indonesia, Alifah’s teachers asked him to cheat. He and his mother reported the cheating to the whole country. Many people became angry. But soon after, Alifah and his mother earned an award for their honesty. The National Commission for Child Protection presented the award. The group believes that honesty is a value that may be disappearing. They want to help children see how important it is to be honest, and not cheat.

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This is an issue all people can think about. If we are willing to cheat as children, will we be more willing to cheat as adults? Will cheating students become cheating leaders? Is cheating ever worth it? Let us know what you think about this issue. You can leave your comments on the script page of this program.

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The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can hear this program again, and read it, on the internet at https://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called “Cheating in Schools”.

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You can also find us on Facebook - just search for Spotlight Radio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.