Plagiarism

In view of the given articles, ‘Tokyo University to crack down on plagiarism in theses’ and ‘School stress to pupils: No copying’, plagiarism is the common issue between the two.

Plagiarism is to copy someone else’s hard work and pass it off as your own without giving credit when due.

With the internet being readily accessible, gathering information has become convenient. Most information online are free and can be easily copied. A person might have the misconception that they are free to copy someone else’s work undetected.

Therefore, raising awareness regarding plagiarism is important. As seen in the article, ‘School stress to pupils: No copying’, some primary schools in Singapore have taken action to curb plagiarism by introducing cyber-wellness as part of the school’s syllabus.

The importance of the syllabus is introduced to students as early as primary 1. It will be beneficial for the students to start early as they will be well versed in the syllabus when they move on to post primary education.

Students at an early age need to be taught the consequences of plagiarism. In the article, it states that the punishment for plagiarizing in polytechnics and universities ‘would normally be a fail grade in the course, suspension, or expulsion in the most severe cases’.

In the other article, ‘Tokyo University to crack down on plagiarism in theses’, an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Engineering, was not only dismissed but stripped off his doctorate degree for plagiarizing.

In a scenario where a person is caught for plagiarizing, the chances of society doubting that person’s work in the future are very likely. For this reason, the credibility of that person would also be questioned.

As there is no clear penalty for plagiarizing, it is up to the schools to set the rules and make the ultimate decision.