Brookes is one of the worst unis for cheating in the country

Oxford Brookes is the fifth worst uni in the UK for cheating.

Results were published according to the Freedom of Information Act, where 1,711 Oxford Brookes students were caught cheating between 2012 and 2015.

We came just after Sheffield Hallam with 1,740 students and Kent came first, with 1,933.

Oxford Brookes was among eleven other institutions where 1,000 or more students were also caught cheating within the three-year period.

The top five universities caught cheating were:

1. Kent 1,947
2. Westminster 1,933
3. East London 1,828
4. Sheffield Hallam 1,740
5. Oxford Brookes 1,711

The results do not specify whether the students cheating were discovered through online coursework submissions or seated exams.

It could be argued the real figures for cheating could be even higher. As a result of the increased use of essay mill websites, where former academics offer to write students’ essays in exchange for money, we must question how high the real cheating figure must really be.

Accounting for one of the highest figures in the country, a spokeswoman for the university said: “Brookes take cheating very seriously.”

“If a student is found to have cheated, they will be given an appropriate penalty according to the infringement, even if that penalty is a warning.”

In an article published by the Oxford Mail Mr Ratcliffe, the previous director of student and academic affairs at Oxford Brookes said: “The clear message should be that students who make serious attempts to cheat will probably be found out, and the impact will be life-changing.”