By ESTHER NG’ANDU
THE National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has condemned what it alleges is a growing trend by academic experts offering to write assignments on behalf of students for a fee.
NAQEZ executive director Aaron Chansa said a survey conducted by his group recently discovered the alarming practice of academics at many tertiary institutions of learning advertising paid-for services for such work as writing important assignments for students and carrying out research for them.
“As an institution advocating for quality education, we are disappointed by the growing trend by so-called academic experts advertising their services, such as carry out research and writing assignments on behalf of students. We call on the Higher Education Authority to swing into action against these academic experts, “he said.
He said the trend was compromising the quality of graduates coming out of universities and colleges were this practice was rampant, saying students who had coasted through university with little effort of their own could not be expected to make the grade in industry.
“Today, most students are just lazy and concentrating on playing around at the expense of school because of these people researching and writing assignments on their behalf. How do you expect a student to pass like that?” he said.
Mr Chansa said notice boards at many of the institutions surveyed by NAQEZ plastered with adverts placed by persons offering their services to do research and other assignments on behalf of students willing to pay for such work.
“This scenario is highly regrettable and must be halted as soon as possible because it is destroying our education,” he said.