A tale of lecturers and students exchanging favours for grades
THE goal of lecturing is to establish a sincere intellectual rapport with your students.
However, what students lack in college is an intellectual relationship or conversation with their lecturers.
Everyone can point to a lecturer who made a difference in his or her life, and also to one who made life miserable for a short time.
And of everything at college, the purest and deeply inspirational relationship is that of a devoted lecturer and a willing student.
Almost everyone has a favourite lecturer and those we like less.
What causes us to still cherish these relationships and harbour powerful sentiments of respect and sometimes a shuddering dislike for those individuals who are responsible for mentoring us?
The answer is quite simple. It’s how the student-lecturer relationships are developed, nurtured, and given space to evolve.
But I bring you a few questions this week: Would you bribe your lecturer for better marks?
Would you sleep with your lecturer in exchange for better grades? And would you blackmail your lecturer for better marks?
Would you ask for sexual favours from your students to give them better grades? Would you make your students fail if they don’t bow down to your demands?
All these questions came into my mind and they apply to both students and lecturers.
I have been wondering for a while and this week I gathered myself to say what has been and still happening. Fellow folks, education is the cornerstone of our society, and it is built upon the principles of fairness, honesty, and hard work.
And the act of offering favours for better grades strikes at the heart of academic integrity.
It distorts the purpose of education, which is to foster knowledge, critical thinking, and personal growth. When students resort to such means, they compromise their learning and devalue the efforts of those who have earned their grades through diligence and dedication.
Welcome to the new month of love fellow students. Realistically, days are cruising. Like always, I write what I see. So last week during a conversation, a certain student asked me, ‘Cde you say, you write what you see, are you even a student? asked the student.
Where do you get what you write, do you visit universities or colleges to get what you write,”further asked the student. My answers were simple, I am a student and I also have interactions with students regularly.
Since the girl students tend to show up in huge numbers at the institutions of learning, attention should be paid to problems that most of them face.
It is true that major challenges still lie ahead of female students in college.
But it seems the tables are turning and the problems are now lying ahead of lecturers as well.
There are so many things which happen at college and there have been numerous reported instances where students have attempted to offer favours in exchange for better grades.
These instances can range from subtle attempts at manipulation to more overt forms of bribery.
In some cases, students may offer gifts, money, or other incentives to instructors in the hope of gaining an unfair advantage in their academic pursuits.
Of course, such behaviour is not only unethical but also goes against the fundamental principles of academic integrity.
The practice of exchanging favours for marks has far-reaching implications for academic integrity.
It erodes the fundamental principles of fairness, meritocracy, and equal opportunity within educational institutions.
When grades are no longer based on academic performance but rather on extraneous factors, the value of a degree diminishes, and the credibility of the institution is compromised.
I have seen some students crying foul after a certain lecturer made them fail or give them lower marks than the ones they deserved. The reason may be that the female student rejects their demands.
Some students even told me that they were made to fail after they turned down some sexual or love proposals from some lecturers while also boys have raised complaints about their differences with some lecturers. In the end, they have failed or are made to repeat.
There are also scenarios where a student offers some favours in exchange for better grades mostly when the student didn’t write some assignments or has not done well during the exam.
Such behaviour creates an uneven playing field for students.
Those who are unable or unwilling to participate in such exchanges may find themselves at a disadvantage compared to their peers who are willing to compromise their integrity for better grades.
This perpetuates a culture of dishonesty and undermines the educational experience for all students.
Beyond its impact on academic integrity, this behaviour raises serious ethical concerns.
It blurs the lines between right and wrong, teaching our future leaders that shortcuts and unethical conduct are acceptable means to achieve success. These activities have seen students attempting to influence their grades through non-academic means.
This can include offering gifts, money, or other favours to lecturers in exchange for better grades. In some cases, students may even resort to more extreme measures such as bribery or blackmail to secure favourable treatment.
On the other hand, lecturers may engage in favouritism by giving preferential treatment to certain students in exchange for personal benefits.
This can manifest as granting higher grades than deserved, providing unauthorized assistance during exams, or showing leniency towards specific students due to personal connections or inducements.
The issue of students offering favours for marks is a serious concern in educational institutions.
This unethical practice undermines the integrity of the academic system and compromises the principles of fairness and meritocracy.
It can take various forms, such as students attempting to bribe or influence their instructors in exchange for better grades, special treatment, or academic advantages. This behaviour not only erodes the credibility of educational institutions but also devalues the efforts of hardworking and honest students.
Let’s work hard, and bring honesty to the academic journey.
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