There has been a long and sordid history of international students cheating at Australia’s universities, often to get around having insufficient English-language proficiency to complete their studies.
For example, “functionally illiterate” Chinese international students were embroiled in a widespread contract cheating racket in 2014, which was documented in detail here and here.
The next year, ABC’s Four Corners aired an alarming report, entitled “Degrees of Deception”, which also documented the rise of contract cheating among international students at Australian universities.
Several Sydney Universities were also caught up in ‘ghost writing’ scandal in 2015, resulting in New South Wales’ Independent Commission Against Corruption issuing a strong censure.
At the beginning of last year, international student associations demanded greater oversight of overseas agents amid growing concerns of widespread cheating on English-language tests.
A few months later, ABC Four Corners’ “Cash cows” report featured academics concerned about the growing incidence of cheating by international students at Australian universities.
Later in 2019, the ABC reported a “proliferation of ghostwriting” services targeted at international students, whereas The AFR reported that “cheating has spread like wildfire” across Australia’s universities, driven by international students.
It appears Australia’s university watchdog has finally had enough, with the chief executive of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TESQA), Anthony McClaran, vowing to tackle industrial-scale contract cheating, which is most prevalent among international students:
[Anthony McClaran] said the providers of paid cheating services were becoming more sophisticated and cracking down was a priority for the regulator…
While the services are available to domestic and international students, many of the providers have targeted foreign students who may struggle with English language standards.
Amid ongoing scrutiny of Australia’s booming international education sector, Mr McClaran recognised there were concerns about English language standards…
While the services are available to domestic and international students, many of the providers have targeted foreign students who may struggle with English language standards.
Amid ongoing scrutiny of Australia’s booming international education sector, Mr McClaran recognised there were concerns about English language standards…
Mr McClaran said the success of international education in Australia had introduced varied risk across the system, with “problematic” over-reliance at some providers.
The fundamental problem is that Australia’s higher education system has turned into a commodity ‘volume-based’ business, with universities dumbing down standards to sell as many places as possible to international students in order to maximise profits.
The gutted entry standards has meant that almost any international student now qualifies to study so long as they can pay the fees. Hence the absurd rise in students from non-English speaking backgrounds, particularly China, India and Nepal:
Because these international students have paid so much money upfront, and lack the necessary English language skills to complete their studies, they inevitably turn to ‘ghost writing’ and contract cheating services to pass.
The real victims in this sham are local students whose education quality is being eroded as Australia’s universities dumb down courses to cater for international students with poor English skills, while also having to carry them via group assignments.
