Survey Time: Editing your child's school work

epiphany
Sat, 13 Jun 2015 08:09:31 +0000

One does not get a grade for college and professional school applications and essays. One could get an acceptance, obviously, but it generally backfires, or helps little, when parents are rather intrusive into either of those situations, so there is actually less risk of a completely or largely ghostwritten application by itself resulting in an acceptance dishonestly achieved than a grade on an essay having been dishonestly deceived. And “helped edit” is different from heavily edit, i.m.o.

The situation I described is academic, not applications. I think the latter, and resumes, fall into a different category.

Personally, I cannot accept over-writing a student’s academic essay and having the student turn it in as her own work. It’s not her own work.

I respect that other people do not share my view and that I’m probably in the minority here. Again, instruction, guidance, suggestions, an honest answer if a child asks you that – I see all those as quite different from unilaterally “taking charge” of a student’s academic paper. (That’s what has been happening.)