Addressing Plagiarism in Schools

If you are the head of a section or division, or maybe even the principal, this article is for you.

You are the one who has the power to influence, so how can you set up standards for your school to adopt and how can you communicate them to the students? How can you take a strong stand against plagiarism?

Here are a few tips:

• Explain it loud: Put a school’s policy on plagiarism and share it on the school's website, school handbook, and student handbook.
• Explain it all: Do not just say that you have taken a stand against plagiarism and share a definition of plagiarism, instead go on and spread awareness of the types of plagiarism, intentional and accidental, and mention the details on how your school plans to deal with each type of plagiarism. Also, provide examples and share the consequences of each type of plagiarism. Ensure that every teacher and student is made aware of the different types of plagiarism and ensure that everyone knows and understands these types.
• Explain it straight: Provide a policy that is well written, with a clearly defined objective and desired goals. Put the policy in place and make it enforceable. Also, identify the procedures that will be followed if a plagiarism incident occurs and communicate them to all the teachers.
• Explain how it works: Include details on whether your school will be using plagiarism detection tools and how they work. Often such information can deter plagiarism as the student is made aware that this behavior is taken seriously and it will be detected.
• Explain it to the caregivers: Parents are an integral part of a student’s life and have a major influence on them. It is to your advantage to share the anti-plagiarism policy and consequences with them so that they can advise their children accordingly. Responsible behavior originates from home and if parents are advised to encourage honesty in academic work, it will go a long way in deterring plagiarism at your school.
• Explain it and then do it: You must enforce what you have stated in your schools’ anti-plagiarism policy. If an incident occurs and you do not apply consequences consistently, the policy will fail and your efforts in raising awareness will be wasted.

These are some steps that you can take to ensure the spread of awareness about plagiarism in your school.