Academic Honesty Policy

Academic Honesty and Dishonesty

At The Concord School, academic honesty is every student demonstrating and upholding the highest integrity and honesty in all the academic work that they do. The well being of our school community depends on every student taking responsibility for his or her conduct in both social and academic endeavours. Every child’s success at the school is dependent on him/her engaging in an honest and integral pursuit of knowledge. 

Academic dishonesty is a student’s attempt to claim and show possession of knowledge and/or skills that he or she does not possess.

The following are some common forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Cheating: Cheating involves the following acts: a) giving out and receiving information during tests, exams, assessments and so forth, b) using any notes or information while taking the exam, c) sharing work which means writing a paper for someone or asking someone to write the paper for you… (Jones, 2001).

2. Deception: Deception is providing false information to a teacher/instructor concerning a formal academic exercise. Examples of this include taking more time on a take-home test than is allowed, giving a dishonest excuse when asking for a deadline extension, or falsely claiming to have submitted work. 

3. Impersonation: An impersonation is a form of cheating whereby a different person than the student assigned an assignment or exam completes it. The academic work is totally ‘outsourced’ to another person or organization, usually for pay.

At The Concord School, engaging in any of these activities is a serious offence for which a pupil may be immediately expelled from the school. We expect and encourage our pupils and students to recognize that any form of dishonesty interferes negatively both with academic and personal development. Academic honesty, therefore, is the only acceptable standard and the only way learning can occur effectively. 

Responsibilities of Students, Parents and Teachers 

1. Students:  Every student is expected to be honest, truthful and sincere work in completing all school-related tests, quizzes, projects, reports and when engaging in both internal and external examinations. No examination is exempted from this policy.

2. Parents: Every parent is expected to adopt the philosophical wholesomeness of the academic integrity policy and uphold the spirit and the letter of it encouraging their ward to practice academic honesty throughout his/her stay at The Concord School and beyond.

Teachers: Every Teacher is expected to review with the students the concept of academic honesty regularly through the academic year. Every teacher is also expected to report and punish appropriately any instances of academic dishonesty.