The current evaluation system of universities should be
improved, says an article in Procuratorial Daily. The
following is an excerpt:
The Beijing Youth Daily reported recently that more
than one year before the evaluation of the teaching quality of
universities, teachers start to work around the clock in
preparation. Some, however, resort to cheating to score high marks
in the evaluation.
They, for example, fabricate regulations and systems that have
never been adopted.
Fabrication is only one of the dirty things in the evaluation
process. Another is corruption. A university that was rated an
excellent one sent each member of the evaluation panel a laptop
computer and told the panel materials for their evaluation were all
stored in the computers and they could bring them back for a close
review.
Cheating and corruption during evaluation of universities has
been criticized by the public for a long time. But in recent years,
it has been gaining momentum.
The management of some universities spare no efforts to pass the
evaluation so that they can keep their reputations and gain more
students. Evaluation panelists in turn enjoy the privilege. This
promotes the popularity of evaluations.
Certain evaluation is necessary to motivate institutions of
higher learning to improve their teaching quality. But the
evaluation system should be reformed and strict measures adopted to
stop the malpractices. Those who resort to cheating and bribery
must be punished.
(China Daily January 16, 2008)