“ I was willing to do such acts , not just only to earn revenue but rather to lend a hand to a struggling student .”
Cheating has been in the news from time to time . From posts about students in a prestigious Manila based university paying over PHP 20,000 for a thesis to simple Twitter posts offering " homework for sale ," cheating has almost become the norm in the online classroom .
In the ideal class set-up , teachers can easily catch cheating and academic dishonesty ; however , today ’ s online set-up allows a systemic form of academic dishonesty where students can cheat and get off scot free . With the ease of cheating without the teacher ’ s supervision , it is no wonder that cheating in schools is more rampant than ever before .
From simple sharing answers to a more systematic form of transaction between students , cheating in the online set up is merely the façade of the whole problem of academic dishonesty .
These acts were given light by “ Joshua ” and “ Mira ”; both of which engage in a form of cheating called “ homework for sale .”
“ I was willing to do such acts , not just only to earn revenue but rather to lend a hand to a struggling student . I wanted to make sure that my friends would never be behind , so we could move up together with happiness .”
“ Joshua ”, a high school student , emphasizes the need to help one another , especially to struggling schoolmates . His way of doing so was selling homework , believing it as a way of compassion to his friends and fellow students .
In his two years of selling , he , at times , offers a free-of-charge service to ease the burden of his schoolmates . He says that some of his customers plead for it to be free , explaining that they need the money for providing for their family .
For most of his clients , he charges a rate dependent on the task ; his lowest rate ranging from P25 to P30 . For him , money is not the priority as long as he can help those students in need .
“ I would remember one time after the completion ceremony , that a friend of mine messaged me just to say ' thank you for everything '. He struggled in Math , so he approached me and asked for help since he was at risk of failing the subject . I wept after seeing this , and as well , felt motivated to help more students in need . This encouragement drives me to sell homeworks , or at times , do it for free .” he remarked .
While “ Joshua ” is selling homeworks mainly to help his batchmates , the opposite was true for " Mina ". “ Mina " does “ homework-for-sale ” to help out her struggling household , hoping to find a source of income for her family that has suffered financially because of the pandemic .
“ Mina ”, also a high school student , was struggling to find ways to support her family . She scouted for numerous sources of income online , but all of which were not applicable for her . For most jobs , she was required to work full-time , forcing her to sacrifice her education ; and for some , she was required to attend physically , jeopardizing her and her family ’ s health .
One day , a friend of hers - who sells homework - asked for her help . Her friend was accomplishing a research paper for a customer with a huge payout . With her service , she received a commission of P900 . This was when she realized she can also engage in this form of transaction to provide for her family .
Since there was no better option , she decided to join her friend ; and after a few months , she gained a small circle of clients . Although her rates were lower than her friends , she could at least provide additional income to provide for her family .
Even with her good will , however , a dilemma still runs in her head . The fear of being caught always lingers in her with every sale she has . This , however , did not stop her . The thought of her family over herself kept driving her to continue selling homework to others .
The dilemma between a moral and family obligation remains a standoff between “ Joshua ” and “ Mina ”. Both of them know well that these acts are illegal , but their responsibility as a friend or as a daughter is heavier than any .
Two different reasons , with two distinct backgrounds , but one common goal : to help those who matter to them the most . This investigation not only showed the systematic process of cheating in the current online class setup , it showed the humanity in those who take part in it . That cheating is not merely done out of laziness or mere malevolence , but a sense of duty to those around them .
And these two students are not alone .
On Facebook or Twitter , there are countless more students offering “ homework-for-sale ” to anyone interested . While these people may differ in what they offer or how much they charge , their motivation remains the same : to provide for those they love . The problem of academic dishonesty is more than just a question of laziness and selfishness ; it is a question of camaraderie , a question of duty , a question of how can one provide for those in need .
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