Cheat themselves from

Hi~ In the following paragraph, what could be the meaning of "students cheat themselves from having to learn something new"? Does that mean the students learn something new or they do not learn something new?

And as for "There is no better place for a student to learn", what do you think the word "place" mean here?

A school ? Or teachers' job ?

Any idea would be welcomed. Thanks a lot in advance~!

For every behavior, there are consequences. If one of the unexpected consequences of an ill-conceived notion of mandatory testing is a generation willing to cut corners, we will all have lost. One of the jobs of teachers is to model and teach ethics, to help young minds see that at times the end does not justify the means. There is no better place for a student to learn that every achievement is altered by shortcuts. The one thing we can never regain is time. Every moment we miss learning something in the present alters what we could have learned in our lifetimes. It is important to remember that the human brain is transformed and improved through the process of learning. Every time students cheat themselves from having to learn something new, they alter the possibilities of what their minds could have achieved. In the case of learning, the end does not justify the means—the end is determined by the means.