International News
University students could be fined or handed criminal records for plagiarised essays, new proposals
March 10, 2017 posted by Steve Brownstein
University students who buy essays online face fines and a criminal record under plans to punish plagiarism being considered by the government.
For the first time, students caught cheating could be criminalised amid fears that a burgeoning “essay mills” industry is threatening the quality of a British university degree.
Last month The Telegraph revealed that upwards of 20,000 students enrolled at British universities are paying up to £6,750 for bespoke essays in order to obtain degrees.
Now the Department of Education has announced it is consulting with universities over how to crackdown on cheating students
The DfE is currently consulting on a number of proposals with higher education bodies, ranging from fines, academic blacklists, and even criminal records for students found submitting professionally-written essays.