Muchmore Loveth Ubah recently shared a deeply troubling observation on the popular Facebook page Concerned Parents and Educators, highlighting the alarming prevalence of exam malpractice among young children.
“I recently saw a picture that left me both sad and wondering. A grade 3 girl—yes, just a little child—wrote answers on her laps during an exam,” Ubah wrote, expressing both concern and disappointment.
At such a young age, children should be cultivating curiosity and a love for learning, not resorting to dishonesty in the classroom.
“At her age, she should be full of curiosity, innocence, and a love for learning. Instead, she’s already learning shortcuts and dishonesty,” Ubah lamented, raising questions about the origins of such behaviour.
Ubah’s post sparked reflection on the broader issue of how children are exposed to cheating. “It makes me ask: Where did she learn this from? Could it be from overhearing adults brag about bending the rules?” she pondered. She further questioned whether the behaviour was modeled by older siblings or even caregivers, asking, “Is it from seeing older siblings cheat their way through games or tasks? Or is it from moments where we, as caregivers, accidentally model dishonesty in everyday situations?”
She continued, emphasizing that even small acts of cheating can have lasting consequences: “Cheating, no matter how small, starts somewhere. And if we don’t stop it early, it becomes a habit—a dangerous one.” Ubah concluded her heartfelt post with a call to action: “Let’s be mindful of the lessons we teach our children, directly or indirectly. They’re watching, listening, and learning from us every day. Teach integrity today, so they can grow into leaders tomorrow. Cheating only cheats them out of their future.”
