Cheating or cheated? Surviving secondary exit exams in a neoliberal era

Abstract

Cheating on exams is a rampant and highly developed practice among youth in the Arab world, often involving elaborate networks, advanced technology and adult authorities. Rather than viewing cheating as mere laziness or immorality, this article interrogates the social meanings of cheating by comparing the practices and discourses of cheating on high-stakes high school exit exams – the tawjihi in Jordan and the Baccalauréat in Morocco. Using informal networks to obtain higher grades, and thereby better futures, cheating is one way youth contest the putative meritocracy of the state to reclaim a sense of control over their lives. Ironically, cheaters develop twenty-first century skills of collaboration, networking and creativity outside the school in order to evade the nation’s formal system of educational sorting. We argue that cheating illuminates the declining effectiveness of the public school in the nation-building project and the simultaneous emergence of the outcomes-oriented ‘neoliberal student’.

Keywords:

• corruption
• secondary education
• qualitative approaches
• Arab states

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. We recognise identifying Morocco as an Arab state is possibly problematic, but contend that the issue does not detract from our main arguments.

2. For example, in this article we survey Arbaoui (2012), Azzeh (2013), Bin Tayyib (2013), Flah (2012), Khasawneh (2011) and al-Shawabke (2012) among others.

3. For more on the history and politics of post-colonial education in Morocco, see: Degorge (2002), Ennaji (2005), Cohen (2004) and Segalla (2009).

4. Translated by the authors from Arabic.

5. The interviewee repeated this statement in English and French (translated by the authors).

6. The interviewee repeated this statement in English and Arabic (translated by the authors).

7. English-language interview.

8. Interview in French, English and Arabic, translated when necessary by the authors.

9. Translated by the authors from Arabic.

10. Translated by the authors from French.

11. Translated by the authors from Arabic.

12. For more analysis of wasta in the Arab world and its role in business, development and social morality, see Cunningham and Sarayrah (1994), Makhoul and Harrison (2004), Mohamed and Hamdy (2008) and Al-Ramahi (2008).

13. Some of the literature on the important role of tribal affiliation and kin-based politics in Jordan includes Layne (1994), Antoun (2000) and, more recently, Watkins (2014).

14. Translated from the French by the authors.

15. In 2012, 28,845 students received scholarships or loans for higher education. Our respondents stated that scholarships linked to students’ residence are one way the government implicitly supports certain tribes. In March 2013, 5200 students received scholarships, of whom 1549 were from the Royal Court and 1000 from a fund that supports students from northern and central regions (Al Emam 2013).

16. Translated from Arabic by authors.

17. Translated from Arabic by authors.