Harvard University is currently investigating 123 students who were  accused of cheating on a take-home final exam in the spring. Nearly half the students in an introductory government class are suspected of coming up with answers in groups and/or copying off one another.

Since students at one of the top Ivy League schools in the country are supposedly cheating, and since Staples is one of the best high schools in the country, is it reasonable to assume that cheating occurs here too?

Studies show that many people cheat at least once in their high school career, and students at Staples agree: “Everybody does it!” said an anonymous sophomore. “At least, I’ve never gotten caught to the point where the consequence has been serious.”

The most common cheating techniques are through cell phones, copying homework, or writing information down somewhere hidden.

So, if everybody cheats, then are teachers aware of the problem?

This very question was posed to different teachers in various learning departments, but they all seemed to share the same type of responses:

“I can’t actually recall the last time I found someone cheating in my class.”

“I don’t want to be involved in this.”

“I’ve never had anyone cheat in my class.”

“No comment.”

While teachers may not have willingly admitted to catching cheaters in their classrooms, it is unreasonable to assume that they haven’t experienced it.

English teacher Elizabeth Triggs offered insight into why teachers were not willing to be open about their experiences with cheaters.

“We wouldn’t want a kid to recognize that he or she was the kid in the example and feel uncomfortable,” Triggs said. “Nor do we want a how-to manual on different ways to cheat.”

Experts say that cheating in schools is an epidemic, and parents are under the illusion that their kid will never do it.

However, the truth is that cheating rates have risen and continue to be high. Cheaters believe they won’t get caught, but teachers aren’t naive. They may be tight-lipped about their experiences with catching cheaters, but they’re on the look out