• UK Education Secretary Damian Hinds says he does not like the idea of UK university students having their essays done for them
• PayPal agrees to conduct a review on payments
Many youths risk losing their livelihoods if the British government and a money transfer service provider strike a deal to block any payments made for academic writing.
The provider, PayPal, has agreed to conduct a review on payments. It is the biggest agent used by essay websites to pay those contracted for assignments. The essay companies operate in many countries.
UK Education Secretary Damian Hinds says he does not like the idea of UK university students having their essays done for them.
The British government has been urged to get rid of essay writing services that have lead to an increase in cheating, with students paying to have others do their assignments.
Essay writing companies have been accused of undermining the integrity of higher education. They are unfair to the honest and diligent students, a letter sent to the Education Secretary said.
In Kenya, academic writing has been a great source of income, especially for the youth. The high unemployment rate has condemned many graduates to such jobs as they seek to make ends meet. Their livelihoods are at stake.
Data from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics say it takes a Kenyan university graduate an average of five years to secure a job. It is not always necessary that one have a degree to become an academic writer. Those in the field mainly rely on information on the Internet to complete their orders.
Their role is to follow instructions and provide appropriate writeups based on their customers' expectations.
The writing, as much as it offers the youth an easy way of making money at the comfort of their homes, also renders the skills acquired in universities worthless as they are not put to use.