Early childhood students in NSW fork out thousands for contract cheating services

WhatsApp messages have exposed a cheating racket where international students are paying thousands to have assignments written for them.

International students studying early childhood education are forking out thousands to contract cheating services to write their assignments.

International students studying early childhood education are forking out thousands of dollars to contract cheating services to write their assignments.

In the latest issue to plague the NSW sector, it can be revealed that students undertaking early childhood graduate diplomas and degrees are using social media group chats to seek out services to complete major assessments.

It has sparked concerns from industry experts who fear that students “cutting corners” will lead to childcare centres hiring unqualified staff and further impact the standard of care.

In one Facebook group dedicated to early childhood students who are trying to obtain Australian visas, a student based in Sydney wrote: “Is anyone able to help me with the assignment for ECT? I am happy to pay for it.”

“Can someone refer me to any leads for assignment help in ECT,” another student wrote on a post related to contract cheating.

There are also dozens of contract cheating companies also posting in these groups touting their “plagiarism free” assignment services.

“Research papers, and dissertations … Let’s excel in your early childhood education studies together,” one company wrote.

One of the offers on WhatsApp to do assignments.

A student asking for help with an assignment.

A Sydney tertiary educator said international students undertaking early childhood studies “only to obtain visas” had been found in some cases to use contract cheating companies and AI-programs such as ChatGPT.

“They are cutting corners to get a quick qualification and this impedes on the sector because it will affect their ability to provide high quality care,” he said.

Another longtime academic said: “Some international students have spent thousands of dollars on assignment cheating services only to be excluded from their courses when it’s discovered their work is plagiarised.”

Georgie Dent, chief executive of advocacy group The Parenthood, said: “Most parents would reasonably expect that the educators they leave their children in the care of are suitably qualified and appropriately supported.”

Dr Susie Raymond, senior lecturer in early childhood education at the University of South Australia, said early childhood courses offered by any university or institution must be of the “highest quality”.

“For our registration here in South Australia, we don’t accept graduate diplomas or certificates for registration,” she said.

A Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) spokeswoman said: “Students who pay to cheat risk failing to develop the skills and knowledge they will need in their future careers.”

“In March, TEQSA blocked another 60 illegal academic cheating websites, disrupting the operations of these illegal services.

“This action brings the total number of websites TEQSA has blocked, under protocols with major internet service providers (ISPs), to 475.

“TEQSA has also removed more than 1000 accounts and advertisements on social media platforms including Facebook that promote cheating services.”

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare warned students can get exposed to potential blackmail when they cheat on assignments. Picture: Christian Gilles / NewsWire

An Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) spokesman said the authority was actively managing more than 202 serious matters, including in relation to the conduct of 158 providers.

“Approximately 60 per cent relate to providers that deliver training to international students. More than 79 per cent relate to alleged fraud, including bogus qualifications, cash for quals, fabrication of assessments and evidence, ghost colleges, funding fraud and visa/migration risks.”

Education Minister Jason Clare said: “When students cheat, they risk getting booted out of the course and they also risk graduating without the skills and knowledge needed to safely and ethically do their jobs.”

“They also expose themselves to criminals and potential blackmail,” he said.

“And in the case of early childhood education, it puts the safety and quality of care for children at risk.

“Australia’s commercial anti-academic cheating laws target those who provide or promote commercial academic cheating services.”

Originally published as Early childhood students in NSW fork out thousands for contract cheating services