Goonerdee wrote: » http://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/50-northern-ireland-police-trainees-in-exam-cheating-scandal-34798191.html Am I the only one who gets angry and frustrated when I read stories about those who get the chance to do the job I've always wanted throwing it all away (or nearly do) because they don't want to put the hard work into it.
D4z wrote: » It was in the Sunday life but didn't say much detail. I assume this will hold us up on getting into GV as the two squads have been back squaded. That and the previous campaign, I can't imagine there will be much room left? GV holds 5 squads st one time?
Johannes_Cabal wrote: » It's shocking when you consider that the PSNI place a huge emphasis on integrity. If those involved would cheat in order to pass an exam what else would they be willing to.do in order to make life easier for themselves. This kind of behaviour also does nothing for the public image of the PSNI and considering a portion of the community already do not trust police officers I can imagine this will only reinforce their distrust. Not only that to think that if they hadn't have been found out there may possibly have been sub standard officers deployed on the streets because they didn't put the effort into training and opted to cheat instead.
PCWannabe wrote: » Yup. Give them the heave ho and let those who WANT to put the work in in.
Johannes_Cabal wrote: » Should be sacked and made to repay the training costs.
PCWannabe wrote: » Now there's an idea
Johannes_Cabal wrote: » I can imagine this will be a first and final strike for those involved and any further indiscretions with result in dismissal. Also it's a bit grim to think that some involved could have been members on here and people we have spoken to.
PCWannabe wrote: » Yeah it's disheartening. Just have to do what is required of us if we get in. I assume a lot will have been very very silly and texted things. No doubt phones will be the first thing ceased
Bunsen1burner wrote: » Could all this be causing the hold up for the latest intake of the 1405 campaign???
networksearch1 wrote: » The fact that they have not even been suspended is despicable. They have been back squaded yes,but they should be suspended from further training until the investigation is complete. Following that if found guilty removed from the process altogether. The reason they have not been is due to the money spent so far,but they should be made an example of regardless! The difference in figures from currently serving to what is recommended currently only sits at 82. There are more than 82 ready and wiling people on the merit list as well as the currently progressing 1509 campaign. No doubt this will cause a delay in those good honest people ready and willing to go and train and serve. If your reading this and you have been involved in the cheating...YOU ARE A DISCRASE!!!!
dollasign wrote: » Your just as bad as Joe public
MikeOneJuliet wrote: » I've taken my time before adding my two cents here. I knew I had to think my response over. Initially I was annoyed at the report. Why cheat on exams? It's not fair on those of us who worked damn hard to get through GV and put in the time and effort to revise and study. It's not fair to tarnish the reputation of police officers. It's not fair to jeopardise your position when there are hundreds waiting for their call to GV. But after reading some responses on here and elsewhere I started to rethink. I know what it's like being in these guys position. You've failed your exam. If you don't pass this re-sit, you are out of the door. No job, no income, a family to support. Who on earth wouldn't take some help if offered it? From what I've heard these guys weren't stealing exam papers, they were simply helping squad mates by sharing questions that they remember from the exam in case they came up again. (Which yes happens often but was stopped when discovered by the powers that be). Technically, yes this is cheating and breaching the confidential agreement they signed when entering GV which states that you are not to share exam questions etc. At the end of it, my biggest problem isn't with the officers involved, who through human nature and fear of losing their jobs accepted help from others, it's the exams themselves. Why are there not more questions? Why is there not more done to ensure that the same questions don't come up again? I am not condoning what these guys have done, and I do believe they need to be dealt with. I simply empathise with them and the position they were in. Back squadding them by 19 weeks is appropriate given the circumstances and I can ensure you that no one wants to do another 19 weeks in GV if it weren't necessary. For those here judging these guys and calling them a disgrace, you will not understand their position until you sit those exams for yourself. Whilst you may be angered, at least try to be considerate and not attack them.
Shield wrote: » I'd take a completely different view. I've been there, done that, and passed all exams first time, and what happened here was, in my opinion an absolute disgrace. Those involved should be utterly ashamed of themselves. If we are to use the excuse that they cheated because they needed the money, or have families to support, or I]insert excuse here[/I, then it's effectively saying it's ok to cheat if you meet any of these criteria in any other job too. I don't accept these excuses as valid reasons for what happened. Yes, if you fail your exam twice, you're out the door, but in all honesty, if you fail any of those exams twice, you deserve to be out the door. It means you either haven't put in the study, or you're simply not cut out to be a police officer. As soon as you start reasoning with yourself that "take some help" doesn't mean "cheated", then you're already on the slippery slope downhill before you've even started in your station. Where does it stop? If you make a mistake, do you "take some help" from your senior colleagues to cover up said mistake? Do you "take some help" in the form of a free cup of tea coffee from the local restaurant after a long day? Your ethics and morals are either rock solid in this job, or they're not. You either have your price, or you don't. If you do, then your own internal confirmation bias will eventually justify a convenient excuse that you can live with, and you'll never know whether you'd have made it without cheating in the first place. Asking why there aren't more exam questions really is distracting from what happened here, and is a straw man argument at best, which is an entirely separate conversation that could run a thread of its own. What people should take out of this is that a huge number of people cheated on their exams, or were prepared to cheat on their exams, either because they didn't put in the study, or they simply didn't have the required degree of intelligence to absorb what they'd been taught during the previous months. To me, that's a shameful disgrace. MikeOneJuliet wrote: » I've taken my time before adding my two cents here. I knew I had to think my response over. Initially I was annoyed at the report. Why cheat on exams? It's not fair on those of us who worked damn hard to get through GV and put in the time and effort to revise and study. It's not fair to tarnish the reputation of police officers. It's not fair to jeopardise your position when there are hundreds waiting for their call to GV. But after reading some responses on here and elsewhere I started to rethink. I know what it's like being in these guys position. You've failed your exam. If you don't pass this re-sit, you are out of the door. No job, no income, a family to support. Who on earth wouldn't take some help if offered it? From what I've heard these guys weren't stealing exam papers, they were simply helping squad mates by sharing questions that they remember from the exam in case they came up again. (Which yes happens often but was stopped when discovered by the powers that be). Technically, yes this is cheating and breaching the confidential agreement they signed when entering GV which states that you are not to share exam questions etc. At the end of it, my biggest problem isn't with the officers involved, who through human nature and fear of losing their jobs accepted help from others, it's the exams themselves. Why are there not more questions? Why is there not more done to ensure that the same questions don't come up again? I am not condoning what these guys have done, and I do believe they need to be dealt with. I simply empathise with them and the position they were in. Back squadding them by 19 weeks is appropriate given the circumstances and I can ensure you that no one wants to do another 19 weeks in GV if it weren't necessary. For those here judging these guys and calling them a disgrace, you will not understand their position until you sit those exams for yourself. Whilst you may be angered, at least try to be considerate and not attack them.
MikeOneJuliet wrote: » I excelled in practicals but struggled with my exams. Does that mean I'm a bad peeler because I struggle with it? Does it make me any less able to perform my duties because I'm not 'book smart?'
MikeOneJuliet wrote: » But are we not all human? Are we not prone to mistakes and imperfections?
MikeOneJuliet wrote: » Does it mean that because we cut corners on an exam we are prepared to take bribes or take liberties on the job?
Momc82 wrote: » Policing Board criticises PSNI over exam cheating allegations sanctionshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36550923
Shield wrote: » The Policing Board are spot on. Yes, it would be costly to get in 54 new Student Officer, but no, the right thing to do wasn't to keep them on. Garnerville: Where the collusion begins.
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