Savoy cabbage and cannellini beans in beef stock: "Response to article 5"

Using iPods to cheat in exams? To be honest, I initially thought that using an iPod was a rather Creative™ way to cheat.* However, I soon realised that the abuse of technology to cheat is definitely not something new. Cell phones were banned from examination halls when schools found out that these communication devices led to the spreading of answers. Students could save notes in their inbox and refer to them during tests. In the same way, this harmless music player is also capable of becoming a storage device for answers.

Objectively, I find cheating something that is impossible to prevent. As quoted from a 17 year old student from the article, “People who are going to cheat are still going to cheat, with or without [them].” People with the intent of cheating will cheat no matter the circumstance. With or without their iPods, they will find ways and means to sneak answers into the examination hall. Short of making it a rule to enter examination halls stark naked with only the bare necessities, schools will definitely be unable to clamp down on each and every individual case of cheating. However, even with such a rule in place, I still believe that some desperate students may scribble down answers on body parts or on their stationery. Thus, to completely eradicate cheating, confiscating the external cheating devices will not suffice. The solution lies with the removal of the main internal cheating device- the mentality to cheat.

People cheat for fear of doing badly because they lack confidence in their own mental capabilities. Often, students who cheat are not prepared for the tests or are just, if I may dare say in Singlish, “kiasu”. They are afraid to lose out to their fellow peers and think that having the answers with them will secure them with a definite advantage over the rest. Since all the reasons for cheating originate from the mind, the only way to prevent cheating is to tackle the source of the problems- the mind itself. I would like to quote our very own Rafflesian Principle of Honour. “In intellectual pursuit, I shall reflect discipline and passion for learning and in personal conduct, I shall live in integrity and regard individuals, groups and the community with kindness and respect, and in so doing, uphold the Rafflesian Principle of Honour.” This principle sums it all. By enforcing strict discipline and emphasizing on the fact that we should live in integrity, students will soon realise that cheating is something not worth committing. They are not only cheating the school but also cheating themselves because they will never be able to realise their true potential. By taking the test with an advantage over the rest, they are not only downgrading themselves but also losing the respect of their peers by cheating. Using technology is but only one method of cheating.

It is ironic that the apple, an educational symbol of good grades, now marks the new generation of cheating devices. **

* Creative™ is a strong competitor of Apple in Digital Entertainment products (especially in the area of MP3 players), with its Zen being comparable to Apple’s iPod.

** Apple™ is the creator of iPods

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