Ban ‘essay mills’, save integrity of British degrees, May govt told

LONDON: Amid growing concern over “contract cheating“or selling course essays for a fee by writers based in India and elsewhere, 46 universities on Thursday urged the Theresa May government to ban ”essay mills” to preserve the integrity of British degrees.

Vice-chancellors from Nottingham, Manchester and other universities signed an open letter to universities minister Sam Gyimah, asking him to target essay-writing “services” instead of students who use them to get through their courses.

Contract cheating, first reported in academic circles in 2008 by Thomas Lancaster and Robert Clarke at Birmingham City University, has become more sophisticated over the years, making it difficult to detect even with plagiarism detection software. Lancaster, now based at Imperial College London, shared recent research that showed a “lot of UK students” continue to use Indian writers to complete essays and assignments delivered online for a fee.

“We’re also seeing people come to the UK to study at a particular university. They gain knowledge of that university and contacts in the UK, then go back to India to set up a writing business specialising in the university where they studied,” he said.

Students are typically targeted through bulk emails, online video websites and leaflets on campuses.