In the wake of an increasing number of cheating cases and the emergence of cheating by advanced technology, the academic honesty contract has been introduced in numerous campuses before examinations. It is assumed that such contracts may help discourage cheating. Do you believe that such a policy will work wonder? Write a composition of about 400 words to state your view.
In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second part you should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.
You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Sample 1
Contract Makes No Difference
In the wake of an increasing number of cheating cases and the emergence of cheating by advanced technology, the academic honesty contract has been introduced in numerous campuses before examinations. It is assumed that such contracts may help discourage cheating. As I see it, those contracts make no difference regarding the examinees’ honesty.
Firstly, the issue of honesty calls for the concern of the whole society. Living in this society the examinees are influenced by what is valued in it in one way or another. The increasingly rampant cheating in examinations reveals the tragic fact that honesty no longer prevails in the society. It is relatively easy to make students sign honesty contracts, but can we ask government officials and business people to do the same? Even if we were able to do that, would there be no more corrupt officials and unscrupulous merchants? The answer is a resounding“No”. Likewise, without effective regulations and supervisions, honesty contracts signed by students can do little in deterring cheating, let alone address the root cause of the problem.
Secondly, honesty contract does not have any legal effect. Although the experience of signing such contract will be engraved in the examinees’ memory, few students took it serious because the practice seems to have taken some characteristics of a political movement and because it has little legal effect. In consequence, examinees feel little weight of the so-called promise or swearing as we cannot deprive their right to take examinations if students refuse to sign the contract. If this is the case, how can we expect this move to work wonders?
Thirdly, honesty contract is likely to offend the students’ self-esteem. Such contracts are based on the presumption that most examinees are potential cheaters. Therefore students are inclined to believe that they are not trusted and respected. When they are treated like that, would they be willing to do what they are expected? Probably it is just the opposite. With the help of modern technology, some students may conjure up imaginative ways to beat such policy. So the contract is more of a formality and it would not do much to eradicate cheating.
Finally, it is a waste of time and energy. Though I do not have the precise idea of the exact number of the student body in China, I can well imagine the colossal waste if all the students in this country are required to sign an honesty contract before their examinations. On the one hand, the same time and energy could be utilized in some more meaningful ways. On the other hand, priority should be given to enhancing the students’ awareness of academic honesty instead of going all out about this bother.
Honesty is the best policy, yet honesty is not an inborn moral quality. To stamp out misconduct in examinations, we should adopt a comprehensive approach. Honesty contract would not produce substantial results as expected.