Placing Blame for Cheating in School

Re Christine Baron’s Feb. 23 column, “Cheating: Students’ Fault or Do Teachers Share Blame?”

I cannot believe that anyone, particularly a teacher, could or would explain cheating as anything but a criminal and unethical act committed by the person doing the cheating. To imply that the teacher is in some way responsible for students’ cheating is no better than placing the blame on a child who is the victim of abuse.

If anyone is to share the blame with the student it should be the parents of those students. Should it make any difference how the students feel about the class, the test, the teacher, or the method that the teacher uses to test them?

Cheating is stealing knowledge and a grade and it is wrong. Should we be allowed to excuse criminal and unethical behavior because “life isn’t fair”?

GENE P. MORRIS

Dove Canyon