“On their eighth day of deliberations, the jurors convicted 11 of the 12 defendants of racketeering, a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison. Many of the defendants—a mixture of Atlanta public school teachers, testing coordinators and administrators—were also convicted of other charges, such as making false statements, that could add years to their sentences” (Alan Blinder, “Atlanta Educators Convicted in School Cheating Scandal,” The New York Times, April 1, 2015).

Education is a topic that tends to be political in nature. Is standardized testing a good measure of the quality of education? Is gym class necessary? Is art class worth the expenditure? Schooling in its various forms significantly affects the future of a nation. Generally, better education leads to a better society.

Of course, education is more than numbers and letters. Teachers and school administrators provide moral guidance whether or not they are trying to, as youth see the example they set and learn from it for good or ill. The example of cheating to get ahead is a terrible one. Hard work and perseverance with a good attitude are what the younger generation should see as an example for successful living.

On the flip side we can see that biblical principles are again validated—and parents should point out this valuable lesson to their children. Proverbs 10:9 states, “Honest people can always feel secure, but lying cheaters will be caught” (Easy-to-Read Version).

It’s very sad to see people educating the future generation fall to such lows for personal gain. (Source: The New York Times.)