Editor,

The act of punishing students caught cheating is very helpful since those who face the consequences can show others why cheating is wrong.

For instance, the incident of the National University of Rwanda (NUR) students expelled for cheating, according to The New Times article of October 26th 2010, is one clear example. Two students were expelled from NUR after they were spotted exchanging answer booklets by a curious 1st year student who was in the same examination room.

Imagine a student who scores highly so effortlessly; when in fact someone else is sitting exams for him or her. What happens after they graduate and they have to practice their profession? In such a case, if it were a doctor, he/she would end up giving wrong prescriptions and administering the wrong drugs to patients. This thought is appalling for anyone in their right mind!

Students should always report exam malpractices since at times it affects them all because if it’s a national examination, the whole examination center’s results are likely to be cancelled - and in such a case, everyone suffers.

Michael Asiimwe
Nyarugenge