- Unscrupulous ‘essay mills’ to be criminalised as part of the
Skills and Post-16 Education Bill
- Careers education strengthened to ensure that all pupils have
opportunities to learn about all the technical education options
available to them
- Measures build on the government’s plans to transform further
and technical education, so everyone can gain the skills they
need to get well paid jobs
Services offering to provide students with essays for money,
known as essay mills, are to be made illegal under plans
announced by the government today (5 October).
The government intends to make it a criminal offence to provide,
arrange or advertise these cheating services for financial gain
to students taking a qualification at any institution in England
providing post-16 education, including universities.
The move is one of a number of measures being introduced to the
Skills and Post-16 Education Bill to transform the skills and
training landscape and help level up opportunities across the
country.
The law will also be changed to give equality to technical
education in careers advice in schools, so all pupils understand
the wide range of career routes and training available to them,
such as apprenticeships, T Levels or traineeships, not just a
traditional academic route.
Minister for Skills said:
“Essay mills are completely unethical and profit by undermining
the hard work most students do. We are taking steps to ban these
cheating services.
“We have also announced a new measure to make sure all young
people receive broader careers guidance so everyone can get the
advice that’s right for them.”
Banning essay mills will help to safeguard the academic integrity
and standards of post-16 and higher education in England and
protect students from falling prey to the deceptive marketing
techniques of contract cheating services.
This follows a number of steps already taken to tackle
unscrupulous essay mills, including the government working
alongside the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education,
Universities UK and the National Union of Students to produce
guidance for institutions on how to combat the threat of contract
cheating and guidance for students to make them better aware of
the consequences, sending a clear message that these services are
not legitimate.
Additional measures being introduced to the Bill include enabling
sixth form colleges with a religious faith designation to become
a 16-19 Academy, boosting diversity in 16-19 academies and
allowing more faith school providers to open 16-19 academies with
a religious character.
The Bill, which will enter its report stage in the House of Lord
on 12 October, underpins the government’s transformation of
post-16 education and skills as set out in the Skills for Jobs
White Paper. The reforms outlined in the Bill will help to create
more routes into skilled employment in sectors the economy needs,
such as engineering, digital, clean energy and manufacturing, so
more people can secure well-paid jobs in their local areas,
levelling up the nation and supporting communities to thrive.
