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What to do about academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and direct copying?

4th July 2010

How do the teachers working in Thailand handle direct copying and obvious plagiarism? I work at the number one university in Thailand and there is no academic honesty policy for a course that teaches almost 5,000 students a year. When I report instances of plagiarism, the issue gets buried. When I request a copy of the academic honesty policy and the plagiarism policy, my requests are dismissed. Is there a happy medium to be achieved between the inherent ethical principles of the English language while teaching in a country that follows the Confucian ideal of “Copy the Master”?
I really think this should be a major section of ajarn.com that all teachers can reference to avoid constant problems.Thank you

Mike

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About Ajarn.com

Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.

Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.