Where's the integrity in our schools?

One day last week as my wife and I got ready for work, a news segment on the "Today" show on TV in the background caught my attention.

The report cited a survey showing 95 percent of the students admitted to cheating at least once on a test since they reached high school.

Now, that was hard news to stomach just before breakfast - or any other time for that matter. Think about it: Only five of every 100 students haven't cheated.

Surely that's an inflated number. I figured a little research was in order.

One guy, a junior at a Lauderdale County school, gave me a brief moment of hope when he said, "That number is way too high." Unfortunately, he popped my bubble with the next sentence: "It's more like 80 or 85 percent."

Maybe I'm showing my age or I'm just plain naive, but that seems to be a scary thought even if you take the best-case scenario of 80 percent.

If eight out of every 10 high school students have cheated on tests, what does that tell us about our priorities and what our children are being taught about integrity and ethics?

I was told that technology makes cheating easier. One student told me they know of kids who text a friend while taking a test to get answers, even though cell phones in school are forbidden. One guy told me plagiarism is rampant. The same guy told me of a social networking site that lists successful ways to cheat.

You immediately wonder: Why?

One of the experts on the "Today" show segment said it involves all the pressure kids face today. Parents love to brag on their children and put those "My child is an honor student" stickers on their cars. Instead of helping Johnny when he brings home a "D" on his report card, they let him know how ashamed they are of him.

Students also feel pressure from their teachers and school administrators. There is great emphasis placed these days on annual achievement tests because teachers and schools are judged by how their students perform on them.

One student said she has had teachers who often leave the room when tests are going on, especially during those annual exams. "It's like giving you a green light to cheat," she said.

The real issue here seems to be that if so many students are cheating, they can't be learning. Also, if they're being taught that cheating is OK, what do we have to look forward to down the road - more scandals and more difficulty figuring out who and what company you can trust.

It's a scary thought to ponder.

Mike Goens is the TimesDaily managing editor. He can be reached at 740-5740 or mike.goens@TimesDaily.com.