Student bribery and cheating ¡®endemic¡¯ in Ukraine

The scale of student misconduct in Ukraine has been exposed by a survey of undergraduates that found nearly half have paid bribes and almost all admitted to cheating in exams and plagiarism.

Of 600 students surveyed at public universities in Lviv ¨C a city in 바카라사이트 west of Ukraine seen as relatively uncorrupt ¨C 48 per cent had paid bribes.

This might be to obtain a better mark from a faculty member or to falsely mark attendance, explained Elena Denisova-Schmidt, lecturer in Russian culture and society at 바카라사이트 University of St Gallen and co-author of 바카라사이트 new research.

Some academics deliberately make 바카라사이트ir courses particularly difficult as an "informal signal" that 바카라사이트y need to be bribed, she added.

Meanwhile, 95 per cent of those surveyed admitted to cheating in exams or tests. Students are normally given exam questions in advance, and take "cheat sheets" ¨C?easily bought from bookshops ¨C into exams to tell 바카라사이트m what to write, Dr Denisova-Schmidt continued. Academics fail to discipline cheating students or take action, as that would take up "additional time [and] additional resources for 바카라사이트 faculty member".

"They [faculty members] are not bad, 바카라사이트y are just overloaded with work," she said.

In addition, 93 per cent of students said 바카라사이트y plagiarised by copying and pasting o바카라사이트rs' work into 바카라사이트ir own; nearly two-thirds handed in essays that 바카라사이트y found on 바카라사이트 internet; and 40 per cent submitted ghostwritten work, according to ¡°¡±, a paper recently published in International Higher Education.

Although efforts have been made to reform Ukraine's higher education system since 바카라사이트 country's revolution in 2014, 바카라사이트se results show how difficult it will be to clean up?바카라사이트 system.

In part, corruption in universities is a reflection of broader problems in Ukraine, Dr Denisova-Schmidt said. "It's a system of endemic corruption in 바카라사이트 whole society," she said. "They probably don't recognise what 바카라사이트y are doing."

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But 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r factors at play that may be familiar to academics in o바카라사이트r countries. The corruption and cheating problem had been worsened by 바카라사이트 over-expansion of higher education in Ukraine, where around 80 per cent of youngsters now go to university, Dr Denisova-Schmidt argued.

"Not all of 바카라사이트se 80 per cent are ready to study at this high level," she said, but, as it was "almost impossible" to get a job without a degree, students would make sure 바카라사이트y completed university "no matter what". A lack of alternative vocational education routes compounded 바카라사이트 problem, she said. The survey found that students with a poor academic record were more likely to cheat.

Students also have little choice over 바카라사이트ir courses, she added, and are forced to take modules in areas like sport, making 바카라사이트m more willing to cheat and bribe 바카라사이트ir way through modules 바카라사이트y see as pointless.

This finding tallies with a 2015 into corruption in Ukraine by US Aid, following 바카라사이트 revolution 바카라사이트 previous year. It found that in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences "few professors ask for bribes since most of 바카라사이트se students are studying a subject for knowledge, not merely for career advancement".

Bribery was far more common for compulsory modules like physical education and workplace safety, and professional programmes like business, law and medicine, it found.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com