I came across this article by a person who makes money by writing term papers for university students. He/she ascribes this lucrative business to university greed, which encourages completely unqualified people to pay their money for a semester or so, before they flunk them out back into the street.

I would say, however, that the problem may lie before that, in the public school system. He/she quotes a request from one of his clients:

"i need you to write me two different story in all these listed under. The introduction of the story, the themes, topic and character, please not from internet, Or any posted web sites, because my professor will know if from internet this is the reason why i' m spending money on it.Not two much words, because i will still write it back in clsss go straight to the point and write me the conclution at end of the two story, the second story different introduction, themes, topic and character. Thank you God Bless."

Even the flake, the disinterested, the fool, would never ever have left Miss McMurphy's class writing like that poor soul! We were very lucky, back in the day.