Job Discussion Forums

[chia48]

Hi Jeff, I think I know where you are. In every dreary detail, it sounds like the college where I taught last semester.

In that college, there is an english proficiency test in 2nd year, required by the Canadian partner university. Students who fail are given a chance to take a remedial class and give it another try -- fair enough, that was my job. What I didn't realize though is that the college will do anything to keep all the students going through the programme, dodging the rules and standards set by the Canadian side. What they did to us was pressure us to change our grades after the fact. My colleague and I both had around 50% passing (btw this is an extremely easy test). After submitting our grades we were summoned to a meeting with the dean and told our results were 'not good for the stability of the programme'. Stability of cash flow is what they must be thinking about, not about academic standards ! We were pressured in various ways: we must have had favourites, what about this guy, or that one, they do very well in other courses .... ie. we must be wrong about our grades. But we refused to change any of them. After the meeting we found a horde of these failed students waiting for us in the hallway, looking expectant ... they knew what was going on and fully expected us to cave.

Well we didn't cave, but now we have both left, as nearly all FTs do after one or two semesters, so it's highly likely all the students have been moved on to upper level classes. While the school has a policy of keeping all students, it wants to keep a constant turnover of teachers.
So that the new FTs have no idea that a significant number of their students, at all levels, may have never passed a single test!

There are some bright kids in that programme. Some, I suspect, couldn't deal with the stress of the college entrance test, but they do fine, they are good students. Others may have learning disabilities that are unrecognized. Some students show the effects of too much pressure in high school, they seem burned out, or they are addicted to computer games, angry at parents who have neglected them while devoting themselves to making money. The saddest cases of all are the ones whose parents will not acknowledge that their only child lacks any intellectual ability. They think all problems can be solved with money -- like buying a diploma for their kid who desperately wants to be somewhere else.

But not all the kids are rich. I think there are some families making huge sacrifices to get their kid an education, and it could be worthwhile with all the FTs there, they get plenty of exposure to English. Too bad that 'stability of the college' doesn't mean keeping a few of those FTs around longer.

[upchuckles]

Rooster Wrote:

[Rooster_2006]

[Uncle Vinnie]

What about "WTO" membership requirements?

[Rooster_2006]

You are quoting laws that are technically on the books, but that few Chinese people care about. If there's a law that you can be beheaded for jaywalking and nobody enforces it, you can jaywalk.

[Uncle Vinnie]

Either way, you're advocating "breaking the law". The law that China agreed to enforce while so proudly accepting membership in the WTO.

I'm so happy, here's the reason why - I'm the original Rooster!

[OGFT]

[danielb]

Article Three of the Provisions on the Implementation of International Copyright Treaties (Decree no. 105 of the State Council of the PRC) ratifies the Berne Convention. Article 2 of the Berne Convention covers text books except those relating to legislation which rely on country specific legislation.

[OGFT]

As I understand it , this convention states that it will a matter for legislation in the countries of the Union to determine the extent of the application of their laws as to copywrite.

[danielb]

Only for certain types of work. Otherwise, it sets minimums to be applied and it is up to the member states if they make their own provisions more stringent. There are certain conditions under which developing countries can breach the minimums.

[clark.w.griswald]

[OGFT]

[clark.w.griswald]

[loboman]