EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Briones yesterday encouraged DepEd field offices to protect academic integrity among students in the wake of the emergence of “Online Kopyahan,” a Facebook group promoting cheating.
“We appeal to parents, teachers, and learners to help us dismiss this online cheating, which undermines the development of values and morality among the youth. It demeans the education quality that the Department is committed to improve,” Briones said in a statement.
The agency recently learned that some online groups have been uploading self-learning modules with answers on social media.
Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said regional offices need to conduct orientations with parents to raise awareness about Facebook groups and/or pages that promote cheating and explain its consequences to their children.
He said academic integrity must be included in In-Service Training (INSET) and Capacity Building Program for teachers to serve as an avenue to identify teaching actions and attitudes that push the students to cheat.
San Antonio said schools are allowed to incorporate other assessment schemes such as creating multiple versions of tests, using peer feedback to assess each other’s work, and randomizing test items for students, among others.
“Regional Offices may also direct schools to prioritize the development of programs and school rules and regulations that promote academic integrity,” he added. — Noel Talacay
