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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to despair about DofE cheating

283 replies

WhatTheHeckIsIt · 03/05/2023 15:47

Someone I know very well is the teacher who leads the Duke of Edinburgh at a school. Their teen is going to Buckingham Palace to receive their gold award. There is no way on this planet the teen has completed any of the activities - it's a stitch up.

It's made me feel really sad.

a) I expected more of this person
b) I expected more of their child
c) how could you let your child accept an award amongst people who have worked really hard to achieve it
d) it devalues everyone else's award
e) it's just shit

Rant over - but there's nothing I can do is there?

OP posts:
Iwasafool · 03/05/2023 19:16

Mooshamoo · 03/05/2023 18:56

I've seen cheating become so normalised in schools that it is totally accepted.

Ive seen students to awards like these in schools.

I've seen teachers do a lot of work for students.

I've seen teachers forge student signatures in documents.

I once saw a document where my signature was forged into it.

The document needed to be signed by a tutor to say that a tutor had witnessed the student doing so many hours of work.

Some other teacher had signed my name on it , to say I had witnessed it.

This goes on all the time. It's one of those things that has become so normalised that teachers see it as normal. Even though it is wrong and corrupt.

It will take one teacher to whistleblow on it, before more stringent checking takes place

Maybe you should, it seems very unfair to the kids who actually do all the work.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 03/05/2023 19:18

Mooshamoo · 03/05/2023 18:46

This goes on absolutely everywhere. I've worked in loads of youth work centres. In the centres, the young people completed national qualifications.

in each centre that I worked in, the young people would start the qualification but would often get fed up and not do the full work, the assignments.

ive worked in about five different youth work/training centres.

In every centre that Ive been in, I've seen the tutors/ youth workers do the work for the young people.

It wouldn't look good for the centre if all the teenagers failed. So the tutors simply did all of the work for them.

I've seen tutors write full assignments, forge exams, forge student signatures.

I know one teenager that never did the slightest bit of work, receive a full national award. His tutor did every assignment for him.

Education centres and educational programmes like this, are full of corruption.

If these are qualifications run by an exam board recognised by JCQ then you can whistleblow on this.

I think this is much more serious than DofE, and I'd actually say you have a duty to report what's going on.

The system shouldn't be corrupt, but you'd need to have hard evidence of what is happening.

WilsonMilson · 03/05/2023 19:21

Nepo baby! Happens everywhere.

Iwasafool · 03/05/2023 19:21

In GSs group lots have learned to drive as their skill, not unusual in year 13. GS couldn't do that as we can't afford it so he had to do something cheap. As it is buying equipment and paying for the residential and expedition has been a challenge. His skill was free, his sport and volunteering were at a club where he has played for years.

MoreThanFriends · 03/05/2023 19:24

How do you think it has happened though. Family can’t sign off for each other as far as I’m aware!

dig135 · 03/05/2023 19:26

If it's a week on Monday, happy to start some gentle probing of them when I'm there with my son....

If it restores any faith, I'm an approved activity provider for online D of E skills courses and I've had some fantastic presentations from the teenagers doing it. And a couple of teenagers massively taking the piss.

CelerEtAudax · 03/05/2023 19:32

So, you have no evidence this is all based on your "knowing" the family from conversations in passing. I agree this is not a Court but even so I'd want more before I believed it. If this actually did get to Court (google "slander") you wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Abzs · 03/05/2023 19:32

The teachers will arrange the volunteering placements, book the residential, provide the route cards - the same every year, give them the expedition kit etc. Sports and skills such as music and art or drama are done in school and signed off by teachers. The candidate just has to turn up.
There are some who will do all of the work themselves and well and truly earn their awards. What I was faced with as a scout assessor was candidates from particular schools with their d of e certificates asking for their Queen's Scout Awards too, but unable to demonstrate the skills they should have learned. An expedition assessor quit because of the problems in one school of the staff doing the expedition prep and parents expecting the pupils to pass (and giving him abuse when he failed groups) because they'd paid for the award as an extra and their kids had turned up for it.

drinkeatsmile · 03/05/2023 19:33

Iwasafool · 03/05/2023 19:16

Maybe you should, it seems very unfair to the kids who actually do all the work.

Show quote history

What do the kids who do the work hope to gain? They have done the work, acquired the skills, the resilience, the knowledge - what more did they want?

Thekirit · 03/05/2023 19:34

jgw1 · 03/05/2023 19:09

Where in the 20 conditions for expeditions does it say that one can't pass if one gets lost?

Show quote history

It was still within the time. They knew they had to retrace their steps and knew after getting lost where to go after phoning the organiser. They were told what to do but decided to take a short cut instead This was against the rules.

WilsonMilson · 03/05/2023 19:43

Don’t know about anyone else, but the title of this thread had me thinking that Prince Edward had been caught in a steamy encounter. Grin

jgw1 · 03/05/2023 19:43

Thekirit · 03/05/2023 19:34

It was still within the time. They knew they had to retrace their steps and knew after getting lost where to go after phoning the organiser. They were told what to do but decided to take a short cut instead This was against the rules.

Show quote history

Which of the 20 conditions do there actions break?

TreeByLeaf · 03/05/2023 19:46

@HauntedLady tell us the Ten Tors story !! It’s just happened this past weekend , and lots of friends had their kids walking. It’s so amazing , I love it. How would they cheat though ?!

MrsCrustyBread2 · 03/05/2023 19:50

I think they could have very easily completed everything without you knowing. I did of DofE and it really wasn't that hard. The skill was a music lesson I was doing anyway. The volunteering - I went to a place of worship every week so I just helped out with the kids' stuff there. It's not the kind of stuff my parents would even bother telling their closest friends.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 03/05/2023 19:57

DofE is something forced on teens by parents because they think it will give them a better chance of getting into university. While I am sure some teens do get a great deal of experience by doing it, it is mostly reluctant ones being dragged through by parents and schools.

jazzybelle · 03/05/2023 19:58

A lot of the cheating comments here reminds me of when a member of the RF cheated in one of their A Levels. I believe a teacher completed some of the tasks and was sacked. But I'm not sure how this impacted on the student or their grade.

KitKatLove · 03/05/2023 20:00

WhatTheHeckIsIt · 03/05/2023 16:02

Karma bites you on the arse doesn’t it. I’d be a social pariah if it got found out it was me being a sticky beak. It’s just given me the rage though.

Show quote history

You’ve nothing other than a belief that they haven’t completed the requirements. What have you got against this young person? Even if they didn’t do it properly why would you want karma to bite them in the arse? Did you not do anything stupid when you were young because you thought you could get away with it? I give it a couple of hours before you think you will be identified and ask for the post to be taken down.

Thekirit · 03/05/2023 20:07

jgw1 · 03/05/2023 19:09

Where in the 20 conditions for expeditions does it say that one can't pass if one gets lost?

Show quote history

Ok
So have just asked my boys what happened.
The group first got lost
Phoned instructor and were told route and were told they had to retrace steps back
They left phone on and teachers kid told everyone they weren’t doing that they would just take a short cut
So they took the short cut
Then got lost again and phoned the instructor.
It was getting late so the kids were picked up
They did not compete the course but were not made to redo it. Even though the teacher told them the next morning they would have to. Clearly decision overruled by school.

Iwasafool · 03/05/2023 20:07

drinkeatsmile · 03/05/2023 19:33

What do the kids who do the work hope to gain? They have done the work, acquired the skills, the resilience, the knowledge - what more did they want?

Show quote history

The award is devalued if people are just given it without doing the work.

jgw1 · 03/05/2023 20:10

Thekirit · 03/05/2023 20:07

Ok
So have just asked my boys what happened.
The group first got lost
Phoned instructor and were told route and were told they had to retrace steps back
They left phone on and teachers kid told everyone they weren’t doing that they would just take a short cut
So they took the short cut
Then got lost again and phoned the instructor.
It was getting late so the kids were picked up
They did not compete the course but were not made to redo it. Even though the teacher told them the next morning they would have to. Clearly decision overruled by school.

Show quote history

Which of the 20 conditions for expeditions did they not fulfil?

Queenie24 · 03/05/2023 20:11

My daughter is going to Buckingham palace to collect her gold d of e in a few weeks and when I hear of others that have not truly completed the award I feel sorry for them as they will not have the same sense of achievement. My daughter has worked hard for hers as have my other children.

Iwasafool · 03/05/2023 20:18

Abzs · 03/05/2023 19:32

The teachers will arrange the volunteering placements, book the residential, provide the route cards - the same every year, give them the expedition kit etc. Sports and skills such as music and art or drama are done in school and signed off by teachers. The candidate just has to turn up.
There are some who will do all of the work themselves and well and truly earn their awards. What I was faced with as a scout assessor was candidates from particular schools with their d of e certificates asking for their Queen's Scout Awards too, but unable to demonstrate the skills they should have learned. An expedition assessor quit because of the problems in one school of the staff doing the expedition prep and parents expecting the pupils to pass (and giving him abuse when he failed groups) because they'd paid for the award as an extra and their kids had turned up for it.

Oh dear, it looks like GS hasn't really done his Gold, I booked his residential, mainly because he hadn't got the money to book it but still..........

Do they do their volunteering, are they actually learning a skill in their music/drama/art class? Admittedly at GSs school the ones who do volunteering at school have to arrange it themself but to be honest I can't see why asking teacher X in the sports department is much different to asking the teacher who leads the DofE programme. Do they just turn up or do they turn up and do the activity?

I don't see what is wrong with an organisation providing kit, it cost us a lot and if a family can't afford it I don't think that should mean the young person can't do it, the costs do add up. We did consider a free residential but after a very difficult couple of years, which ended with him living with me, I decided a fun residential was worth it and I don't regret it because it actually gave him a big boost that he needed but I admit we could have saved a few hundred there.

Iwasafool · 03/05/2023 20:19

Queenie24 · 03/05/2023 20:11

My daughter is going to Buckingham palace to collect her gold d of e in a few weeks and when I hear of others that have not truly completed the award I feel sorry for them as they will not have the same sense of achievement. My daughter has worked hard for hers as have my other children.

Oh that is exciting, don't let others put her off I think the majority are doing what they are supposed to do. Are you going with her?

weightymatters73 · 03/05/2023 20:19

Lordofmyflies · 03/05/2023 17:49

Are you absolutely sure they cheated? My DC just finished their gold - skill was driving, volunteering was online conservation, physical was attending the gym. To the outsider, Dc looked just like any other teenager! In reality, they had to provide evidence of activity in the form of photos and a written report by an assessor.

I was just coming on to say this;

It doesn't have to be charity volunteering, it is volunteering and can be teaching, coaching or helping. So one of mine has been helping at scouts teaching other younger kids how to achieve badges and whatnot. One is helping with teaching the younger kids in school at an after school science club (so making bridges out of straws, seeing who can make the furthest flying paper plane)...

Both have done new sports as part of after school clubs, we have so far had basketball, rowing & external judo club.

Skills have been achieved furthering existing skills with specific projects...

So technically all you would see mine doing is lots of after school clubs, and a bit of scouts

I'm not sure I would say anything other than "oh hes at an after school club" or "he's at judo" etc.

Thekirit · 03/05/2023 20:19

jgw1 · 03/05/2023 20:10

Which of the 20 conditions for expeditions did they not fulfil?

Show quote history

errrrrrrrrr
They took transport and did not complete the course