We should be worried about this.

We get a lot of weird news in Malaysia.

The ones I am interested in are mostly in Politics (for an assessment of the mentality of individuals that we choose democratically to be leaders of the people), Crime (for obvious reasons, I like to scare myself into oblivion), Family upbringing (to pick up a bit or two about what I should or should not be doing to my kids) and in Education (for reasons like the following...)

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From The Star Online

Thursday April 16, 2009

Out goes the lecturer

A UNIVERSITI Sains Islam Malaysia lecturer who passed only four out of 157 of her law students claims she was forced to resign so that the university could protect its reputation, Kosmo! reported.

Nor (not her real name) said the reason she left was because she could not stand the pressure from the university management on her to give “sympathy marks.”

“How am I to give extra marks if the marks they got is what they should be getting?” she said, adding that her downfall started when she received a show-cause letter on why so many students had failed.

She was then criticised by her superiors, who also wanted her to add marks based on attendance so as to reduce the number of failures.

“I stood my ground. How could I give them marks for that when it is their responsibility to show up for classes?” she added.

The university declined to comment. (Gee I wonder why.)

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This brings to mind a comic strip that i absolutely adore, in which one particular strip one day, shared the same sentiment as depicted in the article.

The father of one student which attends the main character's medical lectures approached her with an offer she didn't quite outwardly refuse. He wanted her to pass the son, based on who he is related to rather than how he fares in her lectures and in the course. To be fair, she gives tough papers and she is really tough when marking papers. Anyhoo, she actually agreed to the request... provided that he agrees to a condition:

"That you agree to have him conduct his first major surgery on you before he is allowed to cut up another individual."

The response was a gulp, a hung head and a grin. The two former on the father, and guess who is left with the grin.

If all law students are allowed to pass, not because they deserve the pass but because the university is keen on maintaining their imaginary level of excellence on paper but not in essence, then our future law system is in ruins... now.

I for one am behind "Nor (not her real name)" because she knows what she is fighting for, something the students and university management are totally in the blur.