Cheating vs. Helping

The fine line between cheating and helping is considered a cultural shock.  Depending on the perspective in which is considered.  For example, in the United States, the act of helping another student during a test is considered cheating, a bad thing.  In contrast in Puerto Rico there is a debate in whether helping is considered cheating a bad thing or it is permissible under the educational standards as it can be considered a means or alternative result in obtaining knowledge.  What causes the cultural shock? Well, in the United States students are taught to compete in all aspects of life.  They are in a constant race to be best not only at their class, but with others schools.  This indeed promotes a view that ‘helping ‘another student is bad, therefore cheating or just a mean of using the easy way out.   In Puerto Rico, helping others it is a principle that is taught since childhood and it’s a part of our cultural background.  Puerto Ricans cannot help themselves from helping others especially when it comes to an exam.  Students like to cheat, because they want their friends to pass as much as they do. 

Jim Cooper’s chapter eight “Helping” exposes the reality of students in Puerto Rico ‘helping’ each other during exams, which he considered was cheating.  The problem he faced was that he had no trouble with the students helping each other during class, but not during exams.  Coopers posture was that an exam is an auto-evaluation that is strictly personal.  But after a conversation with another puertorican English teacher, who told him that he did not care if their students cheat, because his main interest is that their students learn the right answers to the questions.  In other word to obtain the knowledge he had intended for them.  So that’s why cheating in Puerto Rican students is not that of a bad thing.