Graduate sues Oxford University for £1m over his failure to get a first

[garbon]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/dec/04/graduate-sues-oxford-university-1m-failure-first-faiz-siddiqui

Faiz Siddiqui claims 'appallingly bad' teaching during degree course prevented him from having a successful career

An Oxford graduate is suing the university for £1m claiming the "appallingly bad" and "boring" teaching cost him a first-class degree and prevented him from having a successful career.

Faiz Siddiqui, who studied modern history at Brasenose College, told the high court he believes he would have had a career as an international commercial lawyer if he had been awarded a first rather than the 2:1 he achieved 16 years ago.

If he wins, the case could open the floodgates to similar claims from students complaining about inadequate teaching, unsuitable accommodation and poor decisions.

Siddiqui, 38, who trained as a solicitor after university, says his life and career have been blighted by his failure to obtain a first when he graduated in June 2000. He said he underachieved in a course on Indian imperial history during his degree because of "negligent" teaching which pulled down his overall grade.

He is bringing a loss of earnings claim of at least £1m against the chancellor, masters and scholars of Oxford University, which is seeking to have the claim struck out.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, Siddiqui suffers from insomnia and depression which his barrister, Roger Mallalieu, puts down to his unexpected failure to gain a first.

Mallalieu told the high court that his client's lesser grade "denied him the chance of becoming a high-flying commercial barrister".

Oxford University argues that the claim is baseless and should be struck out because of the number of years that have passed since Siddiqui graduated.

The university admitted it had "difficulties" running the module in the year Siddiqui graduated because half of the teaching staff responsible for Asian history were on sabbatical leave at the same time.

Siddiqui has said the standard of tuition he received from Dr David Washbrook declined as a result of the "intolerable" pressure the historian was placed under. In the academic year 1999-2000, four of the seven faculty staff were on sabbaticals and the court heard from Siddiqui's barrister that it was a "clear and undisputed fact" that the university knew of the situation in advance. He told the judge that of the 15 students who received the same teaching and sat the same exam as Siddiqui, 13 received their "lowest or joint lowest mark" in the subject.

Mallalieu told the court: "This is a large percentage who got their lowest mark in the specialist subject papers. There is a statistical anomaly that matches our case that there was a specific problem with the teaching in this year having a knock-on effect on the performance of students." He added: "The standard of teaching was objectively unacceptable."

A judgment is expected later this month and Siddiqui's legal team claimed he was "only one of a number of students who no doubt have proper cause for complaint against the university in relation to this matter".

[Grinning_Colossus]

Obviously he won't win. Now, if he'd been awarded a first and still couldn't get a job, that would be a more interesting case (tho he'd also lose).

[Syt]

Can anyone help me understand - he studied history, then after graduation trained to be a solicitor.

How does the history degree impact his law career?

[Grinning_Colossus]

His classes weren't engaging, so he didn't pay attention and got bad grades. This kept him from getting into law school.

[The Larch]

What does "getting a first" actually mean? Some kind of top grades?

[Josquius]

Can anyone help me understand - he studied history, then after graduation trained to be a solicitor.

How does the history degree impact his law career?

The Oxford secret handshake of power.

[katmai]

So an English Ide?

[CountDeMoney]

So an English Ide?

Don't be hating.

[Monoriu]

What does "getting a first" actually mean? Some kind of top grades?

Yes.  Students with the best grades get "first class honours".  It varies by university but it is usually quite tough to get a first.  Depending on the faculty, the % of students getting a first can be below 10% or somewhere between 10-20%.  The average students get "second class honours".  This is usually subdivided into upper and lower second class honours.  "Third class honours" exist but that's saying loud and clear that the holder sucks. 

[crazy canuck]

Attempts at educational malpractice law suits are the gift of the millennials to escalating costs of running a university.  It couldn't possibly be that they were just really bad students.

[Drakken]

That reminds when I was a teacher assistant, during my Master's Degree. Part of my job was correcting reports submitted by my teacher's undergraduates. Some reports were not only bad, but appallingly bad; like no conclusion, no verb, no punctuation, and horrendous orthography. While I was lenient for barely-passable copies, for those the only points they would get was for actually giving me something to correct.

Assuredly, they would make a line to visit me. Always. Each and everyone of those came in to argue to let them pass, because they were paying a lot of cash to follow that course, blah, blah, blah. To the worst of them, I told them point blank that their report was too shitty to pass, because part of my job was to give them a reality check. They would then go whine to the teacher that I was too "harsh" and "severe", and that she should have me fired. 

And that was in early 2000s. Entitled brats. But that's when I discovered that teachers indeed have quotas, so I did not renew my contract because I believe shitty students should have the low grades that they deserve.

[garbon]

Attempts at educational malpractice law suits are the gift of the millennials to escalating costs of running a university.  It couldn't possibly be that they were just really bad students.

Doesn't really seem relevant here, well apart from that last line...