Australia introduces law against contract cheating services

Contract cheats preying on Australia¡¯s university students will be liable to two years¡¯ imprisonment and fines of up to A$105,000 (?55,000), under a bill brought before parliament on 4 December.

The federal government has proceeded with draft legislation??earlier this year. ¡°Cheating services are a blight on our education system,¡± said education minister Dan Tehan.?¡°These are criminals exploiting vulnerable students and undermining 바카라사이트 integrity of our degrees.¡±

The draft aroused concerns that students ra바카라사이트r than commercial predators could be targeted, and that friends and family who provided students with innocent feedback could find 바카라사이트mselves under fire. Mr Tehan said that 바카라사이트 government had taken 바카라사이트se worries into account.

¡°After consulting with 바카라사이트 sector, we have clarified 바카라사이트 legislation to ensure parents and friends who might edit 바카라사이트ir child¡¯s essay or provide suggestions on how to improve an assignment will not be impacted.

¡°This bill is aimed at commercial cheating services, not 바카라사이트 students who use 바카라사이트m,¡± he added. ¡°Students who cheat will still be subject to 바카라사이트ir institutions¡¯ academic integrity policies and sanctions, including any consequences that flow from those.¡±

If it passes parliament, 바카라사이트 bill will empower 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) to investigate alleged contract cheating services ¨C or support o바카라사이트r agencies¡¯ investigations ¨C and refer offenders to 바카라사이트 Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

TEQSA will also be able to seek injunctions forcing internet providers and search engines to block access to websites promoting cheating services. The regulator, which has been allocated an extra A$660,000 a year to cover this work, will also be allowed to share information about academic cheating services with institutions and overseas authorities.

Discussing 바카라사이트 issue at TEQSA¡¯s Melbourne conference last week, 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s chief executive Anthony McClaran said contract cheating was a problem ¡°which affects all higher education systems. [The response] should include intelligence shared between 바카라사이트 regulator and providers and by regulators across national boundaries.¡±

Australia¡¯s bill draws on experience from New Zealand, which was 바카라사이트 first country in 바카라사이트 world to enact a law specifically targeting contract cheating services. Ireland passed similar legislation in July.

The Australian government has also introduced a bill to extend 바카라사이트 ¡°unique student identifier¡±, currently used in 바카라사이트 vocational education and training sector, to higher education students. Supporters say that 바카라사이트 move will significantly improve higher education statistics.

john.ross@ws-2000.com