Our View: Public universities undermined by low standards

Good results in the Pancyprian exams are not necessary for all the places available at the two public universities. There are departments at these public universities that take students who have not scored a pass mark (10 out of 20) in the entry exams, because success is determined by the availability of places rather than how well a student has done in the entry exams.

For schools such as the medical school, IT and architecture there is strong competition for places only students with top marks have any chance of being accepted. But for a course like ‘classical studies’, students who did not even secure a pass-mark (with an average mark as low as 8 out of 20) were accepted at UCy. At Tepak, students who scored 9.9 out of 20 were admitted for agricultural studies, while the range of marks deemed adequate for entry to the archaeology and history department ranged from 8.70 to 17.53.

It seems incredible that a sizeable number of low achievers, youths with limited academic abilities, are granted free university education in a subject they have no interest in because there are available places. There is no chance that someone with an average of 10, for example, would ever get a place in the medical school or IT department. They are obliged to study history or Byzantine studies even if they have no interest in these subjects.

It is a great shame that private school students, who are interested in these subjects and have good results in international exams, are not eligible for a place, because these are saved for uninterested public school, students. In fact, teaching unions vehemently oppose admission of private school youths to public universities on the pretext of protecting public schools. The reality, however, is that they are protecting low standards at public schools, for which heavily unionised teachers have a big responsibility.

It is preposterous to suggest that allowing public school students to enter public universities with embarrassingly low marks in entrance exams protects public schools. What it does is lower standards and promote mediocrity rather than excellence, something that undermines the standing and reputation of public universities. How would people perceive a university that gives places low achieving students because it has empty places?

And is this a good way to spend the taxpayer’s money – offering a free university education, to mediocre students that will make nothing of it, at public expense? The answer is a big ‘no’ even though the political parties all side with the teaching unions which are committed to preserving mediocrity and maintaining low educational standards at public schools.

The average mark for the modern Greek entrance exam was 10.77 out of 20 and for core mathematics 9.01. These marks are not a very good advertisement for public schools, or for the job secondary teachers are doing. Unfortunately, nobody has the will to change things for the better. The political parties always side with the teaching unions and together they ensure that poor standards are protected and rewarded with places at public universities.