Cheater Cheater Pants on Fire...wait, that's not right

I know of a lot of people in school who cheat.

When you ask most of them why, they say, "I don't know. Because I wanted to chill out."

I also know of a lot of people who don't cheat.

But when you ask most of them why they don't, they say,  "I don't know. Because they told me not to."

Well, honestly then, the people that don't cheat are just cheaters who follow the rules.
Basically, they would cheat if they knew they would never got caught.

That's bad.

Alright, not to get too scholarly on you, but we're learning about philosophies and religion in World History, and now I'm starting to think about Legalism and Confucianism.

Legalism: maintain order and control through fear, strict laws, and harsh punishmenmts
People obey out of fear, not will

Confucianism: people are focused on becoming morally good people and reaching state of  "superior being," emphasized doing the right thing and following a righteous leader's example, maintain order by making people morally driven, have shame if they don't do what is expected/right

So, keeping in mind the above, which tacics do you think the school systems use to discourage cheating?

Legalism? Yeah I think so, too.
It's not their moral code and sense of shame that keeps them from cheating, it's their fear of punishment.

But what is that teaching us? To learn how to "get away with it."

I mean, why bother following a law or a rule if you're only doing it so you won't get caught? Don't you have to believe in it and agree with it a little more than that?

The answer: yes!

Not cheating and being fair should be instilled in us as part of our character. It's one of the best lessons we can learn as teens. But unfortunately, too many school emphasize the wrong thing, and we keep getting the same message:

"Don't cheat!"

Who? Us
What? Cheating
Where? In school
When? 8am-3pm
Why? Uhh...I don't know


So, what can you do to give your kid some moral direction?
 Talk to them!
Ask about how they feel about integrity and cheating.
Ask why they think they shouldn't cheat and if it really matters to them.
Ask what cheating is...and not just in a school setting (after all, this isn't just for school)

Let them know that you take it seriously, and more importantly, WHY you do.

Bottom Line: Teach us integrity for life, not just for now.