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Describing
some Teachers at Sana'a University:
ACADEMIC DICTATORS
As a newspaper widely read by the student community, we have been receiving
several complaints about the current conditions of Sana'a University. Some
of them are so extreme that I felt that the least I should do is launch
a survey to identify the problems and seek for solutions.
One of the most frequently received complaints is the treatment of some
instructors to their students. The most horrifying story we have heard
in some time is what a female student said,
“15 minutes before the start of the exam, a girl next to me was reviewing
her notes as a final preparation for the exam, which would start at 9:00
in the morning. Then just as we were about to remove the books and notes
off the table, the instructor came into the room. In a loud voice he said,
“come on, prepare yourselves for the exam, I said take away these books”
as the students started removing their books off the tables, he noticed
that the girl was not as fast as she should, perhaps as she knew that there
was more than 10 minutes left. Suddenly, and with an intimidating action,
he threw the girls books on the floor near the room’s door. The girl then
stood up and gathered her books and politely asked the instructor “Professor,
why did you do this? Why did you threw my books?” then he said, “So, you
didn’t like it, heh?” and he demanded her to go out of the room. She refused
his orders. Then in an unexpected reaction, he grabbed her from her arms
and pushed her out of the class.
This dramatic scene left the other girl who told us the story astonished,
angry, frustrated, and sympathetic, all at once. The humiliation that the
girl went through in being kicked out of the room for no obvious reason,
and in front of all the students is surely a serious matter that could
affect her life forever.
What is even more frustrating is the reaction of the other students,
who stayed in their chairs as if nothing happened. They all might have
thought of their own interest, and their interest to pass the exam requires
that they all obey blindly what their master (instructor here) says, and
they should always try to satisfy him in every way they can. Otherwise,
they may have to suffer of the consequences: academic failure.
This incident is probably one of so many that happen simultaneously
in many Sana'a University departments and colleges. The mentality of an
instructor in having the power to humiliate, insult, or by dismissing a
student from entering an exam, and hence depraving his/her from a student’s
basic academic rights, is surely not a good point in favor of the university.
What is happening?
Why are instructors turning vicious these days?
Is it their low salaries that they often complain about?
Is it that there are no monitoring procedures to see how these instructors
are treating their students?
Is it because students’ rights are not respected by the administration
of the university?
All these questions will be asked several academic professors and administrators
in Sana'a University, and we expect an answer to them all. Yet anything
they say will never justify what is being done to the poor students. Are
these monster instructors who we are submitting our students to? Are these
teachers who we have trusted to take care of and teach our children?
Don’t these teachers know that their profession is an extremely noble
responsibility that contains within it a huge burden of being compassionate
and friendly to their students? Have they forgotten that these students
should be as close to them as their own children? Don’t they understand
that teaching them with respect and dignity, making them loves their academic
studies more and more, and being their idols, are in fact, vital for their
academic success?
To all these dictators who call themselves teachers, I would like to
say, “Yemen Times is coming to get you.” We are about to launch a huge
campaign against the ones who abuse their academic position, and think
they are untouchable. Once we understand who they are by students’ testimonies
(without revealing the student’ names), we plan to submit a report to the
administration, and expect speedy and tough action. On the other hand,
not all instructors are of this type. I cannot deny that there are noble
and honorable instructors, and I expect these to side by the students for
their rights.
I know the President of the University, and know that he will stand
by the students in their rightful fight against the dictators disguised
as normal university instructors. We will track them down, and that’s a
promise we are proud to give to our readers, especially our student readers!
But please note that we are not out on a witch hunt. We will do everything
possible to verify complaints before taking action.
Walid Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf
Chief Editor |