Professor Responds to Accusations, Blaming High Failure Rate on Rampant Cheating Trend
Mathematics professor Peeter Lorents, who students at the IT College say should be fired, said the high failure rate in his class was the result of an exam designed to be cheat-proof.
At least 73 students have signed a petition to dismiss the instructor after only nine students passed a spring exam and 135 failed.
Lorents said, however, that he had taken action against a deteriorating environment of rampant cheating, by preparing an exam impervious to deceit, reported Postimees.
Lorents acknowledged that students might well wish for his ouster. He countered that students pay back the education funding they received from the state.
"The problem is serious. The students think that it's their God-given right to attain their grades by whatever methods, and studying is not included in those methods," he said.
Responding to accusations from the students that his behavior has been rude and even racist, Lorents said the petition campaign was probably led by a student he described as problematic and with whom he said he had had a dispute.