cheating mafia noun [U]
UK /ˈtʃiːt.ɪŋ.ˈmæf.i.ə/ US /ˈtʃiːt.ɪŋ.ˈmɑː.fi.ə/
a system in which students can pay to receive help to pass their exams in order to increase their chances of securing a place at a good university

Students need top marks — sometimes over 99 percent — to get into the country’s highly oversubscribed universities and so examiners are bribed, answer sheets leaked and exam rooms infiltrated. No more, said Neena Srivastava, secretary of the Uttar Pradesh board of education, who described the cheating mafia as part of organized crime. “We are fighting against this evil. We have to cleanse the state of this menace.”
[Washington Post, 9 February 2018]

micro-credential noun [C]
UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.krɪˌden.ʃᵊl/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.krɪˌden.ʃᵊl/
a qualification obtained after a short course of study in a very specific area, usually provided through online learning materials, that equips the student with the skills needed for a particular job

At their core, micro-credentials are proof that a skill or level of mastery has been earned by the recipient. Think of micro-credentials as mini-certifications in a specific area of study or professional development, like leading a team or applying computer coding skills to complete a project.
[blog.portfolium.com, 27 June 2017]

grade grubbing (ALSO grade-grubbing) noun [U]
/ˈgreɪd.ˌgrʌb.ɪŋ/
the activity of trying to persuade a teacher or professor to award a higher grade for a piece of work

In the short run, the easy thing to do is capitulate and appease, but in the long run you’re inviting more headaches because the kids are more likely to continue acting up because they know there will be no meaningful consequences. Or consider … the grade-grubbing student. If you give in, you invite future grade-grubbing and limit the student’s opportunity to grow as a person.
[www.forbes.com, 7 July 2017]

About new words