School jinks

After overhearing a few heated phone conversations it has become clear to me that R has a homework scam going.  One night it is his turn to do the homework, and transmit the results by phone to his friend, the next night the friend does the homework and transmits by phone to R.  Sometimes the phone calls take place within minutes of leaving for school on the morning that the homework is due.

What are the moral issues?  For the most part, the homework which is set could be done by a robot, contains no trace of individuality or originality, is an exercise in absolute obedience and a question of right or wrong one-pointed answers which is mind-numbingly tedious to do and doesn't teach you anything.

I've decided to think of this as a healthy display of native cunning in a mad world, a coping strategy, a prolongued trust exercise...learning to deal with stress.

However, the cooperative relationship is clearly tainted, yesterday morning (while he was putting on his coat) some pretty heavy blackmail was being applied by telephone (you only get the maths if I get the picture).  He only just made it under the fence.

I asked R:  "Don't you feel tired and stressed living this life of last minute deception?"

He huffed a bit, then he turned to me and smiled;  "No, I like it, it makes the blood circulate".

Oh dear.