The essay taken for analysis is “A Question of Honor written” by W. M. Chase. The article focuses on the condition of the American Higher Education system. The author touches upon various institutes that are to be blamed for the way students have stopped taking an interest in acquiring education from colleges and universities. He then talks about the concept of originality and what it means for a student to develop a work that reflects his or her thoughts and opinions. The primary focus throughout the essay is on the importance of education and ending the element of plagiarism in schools. Chase refers to different intellectuals throughout the article to present a strong argument against the deteriorating condition of schools.
Chase begins the article by addressing the situation of American colleges and universities and states that recent studies show that students are not putting any effort into studying (Chace). He says that students are not learning as much now and are also studying less daily. Chase refers to two sociologists in the article Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa and states their viewpoints, which highlight the situation of the American higher education system. The two sociologists assert that higher education has been divided into two groups: those who learn and those who don’t learn (Chace). Chase then continues to highlight that the school is not to be taken as a luxury by American society. He refers to President Obama’s speech stating that tuition prices cannot and should not rise. He addresses various aspects of teaching methods that need to be refined to make the students learn more and on their own so that they absorb what they are being taught at school. Chase worries that the deviation from the ethical methods towards illegal means of completing assignments is one of the reasons why the quality of education is dropping further. He also mentions the communication gap between the students and the teachers. When the teacher cannot get his or her point across to the students, it affects the student’s grades.
Chase poses the question of who should be blamed for the downfall of the education system as the universities are already suffering and no one is ready to take the blame for it. Chases mentions different cheating techniques that students at schools utilize. Chase then presents a counterargument by saying that students need to equip themselves with knowledge regarding academic principles. He mentions that students who do not follow the rules of creating original works and instead deviate from the norms of education, become used to this method and cannot achieve anything. The focus should not lie on schools and their policies instead the students need to amend their habits (Chace). They need to focus more on how to get good grades without cheating through the exams or submitting plagiarized assignments to the teachers. Chase’s points can be agreed upon as schools should not be entirely blamed. Instead, students need to take responsibility for their actions. They need to learn that as they grow up, they will have to learn different ways to survive in society. Therefore, they will not get far if they cannot compete with other students by honing their skills.
In conclusion, it can be said that Chase is right in his argument about the students not making enough effort in their studies. Students need to believe in themselves and their skills and develop original works that express their thoughts. They should not turn to plagiarized works to get better grades because they might not be aware that their plagiarism is easily visible and is the cause of bad grades. Therefore, to improve the education system, students need to put in all their effort in studying.
Works Cited
Chace, William. “A Question Of Honor.” The American Scholar, 2018, https://theamericanscholar.org/a-question-of-honor/#.
