When I was in elementary and middle school, I believed that there were some teachers who simply delighted in the failure of their students. It wasn’t until high school that I realized that while there are some teachers who are completely indifferent to their students’ academic success, most genuinely cared and would help those who were struggling if the student was willing to work for it. In college most professors have so many students that harboring personal vendettas is nearly impossible (or at very least so much work as to be impractical).

If I have learned anything as a teacher in the last two semesters it is that there is no joy in failing a student. Maybe I possess a personality trait that makes me a poor teacher in this respect, but I just don’t like doing it. The few students I failed last term were the kids that came the first day and the last day and expected me to give them a grade because they sat for the final. I don’t think I failed anyone who attended class even semi-regularly.

This term, with one class in particular, I am facing a dilemma. The students are part of a program in which they spend a year in the college getting an intensive English preparation and then, assuming they pass the IELTS (which is the UK version of TOEFL that is used by most if not all of the Commonwealth nations), they will complete an engineering degree at a university in Australia.

In China a degree from a Western university is easily an order of magnitude more valuable than one from even a very good Chinese university, so these kids will probably be set with a good job when they return (and they have the chance of working overseas and never returning at all, should want to). Most (though not all) are students of wealthy parents, as the program is extremely expensive by Chinese standards, and they seem to be the laziest students I have despite the incredible opportunity they have.

I have a few students that are probably going to fail my class. In particular, there is one student who right now needs a 95% on his final to get a 60% in the class (the minimum passing score), having averaged a 40% on his previous tests. I know that it is virtually impossible for him to get a 95% on his final. If he doesn’t pass the class he won’t have time to make it up before he would leave for Australia and thus he wouldn’t be able to go and would instead finish his degree here.

I’m not sure why I have any sympathy for him. My grading system is such that if you go to class every day you only need a 20% test average to pass the class, and he’s missed or been late to six classes. I know damn well that he will never, ever pass the IELTS, so he won’t be going to Australia anyway. But if by some miracle of the universe he does pass the IELTS, I really don’t want to be the guy that makes it impossible for him to go overseas. It just doesn’t matter that much to me.

So should I fail him? I think it is my responsibility as a teacher to fail him because passing him is unfair to those who did the work, but at the same time I think in the end it won’t make a damn bit of difference and it would certainly put my mind at ease to pass him and forget he ever existed.

Posted by John on Monday, May 31st, 2004 at 7:14 pm.