The ultimate goal of education is to teach certain concepts and techniques, whether it be mathematical formulas or responding to written prompts. When a student cheats he is failing to prove that he understands the material. Instead the student falsely claim that he grasps the academic concept when in fact he does not. A teacher believes the student understands and does not know if additional instruction is needed. If the student is struggling, he may not have the correct foundation for more advanced work and will continue to fall behind in later classes, often leading to increased cases of dishonesty.
When cheating is repeatedly successful it can become a habit. Cheating students learn they can receive credit for minimal work, which has negative effects on their work ethic later in life. Cheating or shortcutting on work in a business-like atmosphere can lead to serious professional problems, while claiming credit for other people's work can lead to accusations of plagiarism, lawsuits or termination. These events may appear exaggerated, but the ethic at work in these scenarios is the same as that in cheating.
When one student cheats it affects other students in the classroom. Teachers take pride when their students grasp a concept, but the long-term affect of one child cheating is that teachers are more likely to question whether the work of others is honest. The classroom atmosphere becomes tense as the teacher becomes increasingly focused on preventing cheating rather than supporting the enlightenment of honest students, resulting in suspicion and a negative learning environment.
When one student cheats it undermines the relationship among all students. Successful cheaters who earn higher grades than students who work honestly create hostility and resentment in the classroom. Honest students feel the classroom is unfair and are more prone to begin cheating themselves in order to gain higher marks. The result is a waterfall effect, undermining the ethical integrity and reputation of the educational institution.
Students who graduate from an institution in which cheating is common also face problems in the college or job search. Since many students with high marks from the institution prove uninformed in their field, admissions committees and employers are unable to verify which students know the information and which do not. There is a prejudice against all the institution's graduates with a negative effect on every student regardless of personal honesty.