high school is mandatory in the united states until you're 16 (or 17, I think it varies between states)
Okay.
It's a bit weird to compare. There are different tiers of places of education in the UK.
For me, it's gone:
Primary school (Ages 5-11)
Secondary school (Ages 11-16) {16 is the end of compulsary education}
College [Sixth Form] (Ages 16-18) {This is entirely optional, and education usually ends at age 18, but may be later, depending on re-takes and the age you are when you enroll (Since you can enroll as an adult)}
University (18+)
So, I'm in College, currently entering my second year at age 17. Was 16 for my first year.
So, anyway, my argument is just that if you're still in optional education, and you can't do your homework, you probably shouldn't be in optional education.
If you're smart, and are in a basic class (me!), you're going to get horded for copiers (mainly people you sit with). You said you're 16 and in college. So you most likely had upper-classes. People in upper-classes generally tend to care about their education.
Not sure what college has to do with this? I myself do my homework as it should be done (95% of the time). High School is required for everyone under the age of 16. After 16, it is the parents jurisdiction until they turn 18.
I might have confused due to not having the same terms for education as you.
I'm in College now, which is optional, where there is essentially no copying, since it generally means you can't do the work.
For my last year of compulsary education (In Secondary School), I was age 15 (Most of the people in my year were 16 for most of the year, since I have a very late birthday in the school year [August]).
Even during this, there wasn't lots of copying.
And throughout my compulsary education I was in either Set 2 or Set 1 (My schools used a Sets system, numbered 1-5. Number 1 is supposed to be the smartest [not always, and definitely not the best behaved] and Number 5 is the dumbest [usually true]).
A couple of dunces would copy from time to time, but mostly, you either did the homework yourself, or you didn't do it and got into trouble. (Or you were like me, too lazy to do most of the homework, yet managed to talk your way out of any punishment).
Poll