The Department of Education’s response to the cellphone cheating scandal at Stuyvesant HS is a scandal itself.
DOE said yesterday that 71 students had cheated on at least four important tests: the Regents exams in Spanish, Physics, US History and English.
But just six students will definitely be suspended — and none expelled.
And the other 65?
They’re not punished at all, except for having to take the tests again — which is the least that should happen.
Indeed, the cheating won’t even go down on their permanent records. Is DOE serious?
Yes, one of those suspended will be junior Nayeem Ahsan — who photographed the Spanish exam on his cellphone and e-mailed it around.
Ahsan’s name became public (the others are protected by federal privacy regulations) because his fellow students crafted an online petition to lobby for no suspension of a “valued member” of the community, who was a “selfless” role model.
Yeah, right.
If nothing else, that defense of Ahsan shined a light on the sense of entitlement permeating Stuyvesant students.
All the more reason the Department of Education should come down much harder than it appears it has so far.
Stuyvesant is one of the city’s elite high schools — meaning that it’s almost harder to get into than an Ivy League college.
This fall, the school welcomes 967 freshmen — out of 23,899 applicants.
That’s a 4 percent admissions rate.
Some parents spend thousands to help their kids prepare for the exclusive Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
So, how is it that the masterminds who would squander that opportunity aren’t permanently tossed out?
There is a right to public education in New York — but there’s no right to attend its most elite institutions.
That’s a privilege.
Every student in this scandal should face some sort of suspension — and a note in their records — to send a message of zero tolerance for cheating.
If DOE does anything less, it’s ultimately cheating all Stuyvesant students.