Mayhem in halls of learning: Exam cheating, crime rock universities

A new report has laid bare disturbing details of vices among university students, exposing rampant examination malpractice, rising cases of violence, crime, and drug abuse that threaten the integrity of higher education. 

The revelations by the Commission for University Education (CUE) paint a picture of campuses struggling not just with academic challenges but also with moral decay.

In the report, exam cheating topped the list of indiscipline cases even after years of government efforts to eradicate the vice in primary and secondary schools.

Of the 3,841 disciplinary cases reported by private and public universities across the country last year, an astonishing 3,352 involved examination irregularities, accounting for 87 per cent of all incidents.

These range from collusion among students and impersonation to the smuggling of mobile phones and handwritten notes into examination rooms. 

The revelations come amid efforts by the government to combat examination malpractice through strict reforms introduced nearly a decade ago.

In 2016, the Kenya National Examinations Council, and the Ministry of Education instituted stringent measures to seal loopholes in national examinations. 

The measures saw a major decline in the number of students who made the cut-off mark to university with the Education ministry boasting that it had achieved examination integrity.

Yet, the new findings suggest that the same students who entered universities through this sanitised pipeline have reverted to old habits, this time exploiting weaknesses within higher education institutions.

“It is ironic that the very students who benefited from cleaned-up national examinations are now at the forefront of exam cheating in universities. This reveals a cultural problem that extends beyond exam halls. Integrity has not been nurtured, only enforced,” Daniel Mugendi, the Vice Chancellor’s Committee Chairman told The Saturday Standard.

Prof Mugendi said that the lack of integrity in examinations if not addressed poses a threat to the integrity of Kenyan academic qualifications.

“Discipline is not an option, it is the backbone of institutional integrity. If we continue producing graduates who cheat, fight, and defraud, then we erode public trust in our education system and diminish the value of our qualifications,” said the University of Embu Vice Chancellor.

The report attributes the rise in malpractices to relentless academic pressure, the high stakes attached to grades, and weak enforcement of exam rules by universities. 

With degrees serving as the main ticket to employment in a job market already saturated with graduates, students are increasingly resorting to dishonest means to secure good grades. 

But examination malpractice is not the only vice plaguing universities. The CUE report also documents 166 cases of gross misconduct, including violent altercations among students, threats and aggression directed at staff, and destruction of property during protests or disputes.

While the incidents are fewer than exam cheating cases, the report indicates that they pose a serious threat to institutional stability.

“These incidents, though fewer in number 166 (4.3 per cent), pose significant risks to institutional stability and the safety of campus communities. Universities must reinforce disciplinary frameworks and encourage respectful student engagement to mitigate such occurrences,” the report reads.

Criminal activity is also on the rise, with 105 reported cases of theft, robbery, fraud, and forgery.

The report describes incidents of stolen laptops and personal belongings, online fraud schemes targeting both students and staff, and even forgeries of academic and financial documents.

Some of these crimes, CUE warns, are linked to organised groups operating within or around campuses, while others stem from financial stress among students struggling with rising costs of living.

The report also identifies some 124 cases of students’ notoriety in hostels such as use of prohibited electrical appliances, violent or chaotic student union elections, violation of restrictions and visitor regulations.

Drug and substance abuse, long associated with university life, remains a persistent concern.

The report notes that alcohol, marijuana, and misuse of prescription drugs are common among students.

It comes into being at the backdrop of another report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, revealing that at least 18 per cent of university students are using drugs.

The report that sampled 15,000 students have at least used one drug or substance in their lives.

Most common of the drugs include alcohol at 40.5 per cent, tobacco products such as cigarettes and shisha at 13.4 per cent.

Miraa and muguka abuse stands at 20 per cent and cannabis also stood as one of the most abused narcotic drugs.

But that’s not all, the most alarming vices captured in the report also include cases of gender-based violence. 

These cases include harassment, sexual assault, and emotional abuse in relationships.

“Even a single case of sexual harassment or assault in a university is too many. Universities must move beyond token gestures and put in place real support systems for survivors,” the report warns.

The CUE report also highlights cases of absenteeism and non-attendance of classes leading to poor academic performance, the least reported category at 0.3 per cent. 

The report warns that indiscipline in universities cannot be viewed as isolated incidents but as part of a systemic crisis that threatens the credibility of Kenya’s higher education. 

The regulator is calling on universities to tighten invigilation, strengthen disciplinary structures, improve security, and expand counselling and support services.