Students put on notice over contract cheating

Kenyan institutions of higher learning were yesterday put on red alert following revelations that some Kenyans were minting thousands of dollars in sitting exams for students in foreign universities.

University Education and Research Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi wrote to Vice Chancellors of public universities and principals of constituent colleges, directing them to instill the culture of academic integrity.

Nabukwesi said the Ministry received a letter dated September 22 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding a confession by a Kenyan ‘academic writer’ who had been earning thousands of dollars from writing assignments for students in Australian universities.

In the confession, captured in the mass circulating UK publication Daily Mail on September 19, the writer spoke about his involvement in an academic cheating scheme in Australian Universities.

 “In response to the expose, some of the affected Australian universities, have vowed to take serious action against allegations of academic misconduct in order to safeguard the integrity of the educational programs,” said Nabukwesi, in a letter to the Vice Chancellors and Principals dated October 6.

The PS was concerned that as Australia embarks on defending its academic integrity, the allegation brought up could portray a dishonest academic culture in the country, given that majority of the Kenyans engaging in the vice are students in local universities.

Academic credibility

This, he said, has the potential of affecting the country’s academic credibility, particularly in recognition of Kenyan certificates and qualifications nationally.

“You are advised to instill a culture of academic integrity and further put precautionary measures in place to prevent academic dishonest in your institutions,” the PS directed.

According to an expose, some Kenyans have been doing assignments for international students struggling in Australian universities at a fee, which amounts to aiding cheating.

The Daily Mail reported that the Kenyans students earn about Sh11,000 per 1,000 words, even as some of the affected Australian universities said they would take action against allegations of academic misconduct. “Known as ‘The Kenyan’, the subject of the story worked for Chinese company Assignment Joy and wrote papers for struggling international students for as little as AUD149 (USD100) per 1,000 words,” the Daily Mail reported on September 19.

According to the revelation published in the UK based online publication, the charges for an assignment are dependent on the scores a student requires.

“Students happy with a C grade paper are charged $30 per 250 words, while those wanting an ‘A grade PhD’ are charged $60 – with pricing subject to the degree of difficulty, its deadlines, and the course major,” the Daily Mail reported.

The article states that the Kenyan revealed that he had worked for some of the students right from the first year until their graduate.

Daily Mail also states that the ‘academic writer’ labelled the Australian education system a ‘sham’ and was concerned by some medical students because they never completed an assignment during their degree. 

“I have some students who I have worked for since their first year and I’ve done all the assignments until they graduate, just pass and get all the grades. The thing that makes me worried is the medical students who have never done even one assignment since their first day,” says the Daily Mail.

Online portal

The practice, reads the article, runs across for students doing their bachelors and masters degree for education, health science, nursing, psychology and business administration among others.

“In an assignment for Diet and Nutrition for Health and Sport at the University of Sydney, one ghostwriter logged into the student’s online portal after being guided through the security verification via Chinese,” the article state, in giving an example of what happens during this process.