From the Readers

"Diluted education" must end

By Yang Xujin ( chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-03-25 12:00

I read a China Daily (March 12) comment "Unqualified colleges must be shut down." I totally agree because I'm a victim of the enlargement policy described there. Academic enlargement has, in fact, ended in diminishment. The result is a kind of "diluted education" that not only destroys current students but could also hurts future generations.

With the enlargement policy implemented a decade ago, many universities and colleges expanded their campuses and enrolled more students. This led to a race of issuing more degrees. Consequently, more and more students could easily obtain university degrees: bachelor, master and Ph. D. On the surface it makes Chinese higher education look good. But in fact too many university students are not gaining any useful knowledge - degrees, yes; knowledge, no.

This "diluted education" system weakens universities and has changed many into trade schools. Students learn low-level knowledge but obtain high-level degrees. Even with these so-called degrees, graduates can barely find jobs in the private business sectors for they simply do not have the necessary knowledge and skills. Their only job possibilities lie in education institutes, which seem to be more concerned with high-profile degrees rather than actual useful knowledge. This kind of diluting will have a detrimental effect on the future of our universities.

One often hears that we need to improve the quality of education, which is a tough task. If a manufacturer produces low-quality goods, consumers will complain and won't buy next time. However, in the case of "diluted education" the consumer usually does not complain. On the contrary, university administrators, professors and students seem to be satisfied with the low-quality education. It appears to be an easy way out for all.

The university or college takes advantage of the situation to attract more students. Students appear more and more interested in the academic degree or diploma, rather than what they learn. More enrollments mean more income for universities.

Even highly regarded university professors seem to prefer the low-level approach because it makes their job much easier. However, low-level knowledge means low-quality education, and even so-called high-profile professors seem satisfied with it. Students, on the other hand, want the degree or diploma, rather than the knowledge or the work required to attain that knowledge. In this way， administrators, faculty and students settle for less, but no one talks about it.

Consequently, it seems that most universities and colleges really do not want to improve their education quality even when they purport to do so. My university is such an example. I tried to set up an international accounting program and introduce a high-level knowledge of international accounting practice to Chinese students, in 1993. I adopted English as my class language, because English is widely recognized as the official language of the international accounting community and international accounting certification examinations.Without an understanding of English, it may be difficult or impossible to understand international accounting theory and practice.

I also advocated that my students write their theses in English. When China becomes a member of the Word Trade Organization (WTO), international accounting standards and practice will become a necessity because it is more consummate than that in the Chinese accounting system.

However, the business faculty strongly opposed my ideas and set many obstacles to this program, even though they purport to believe that education must gear itself for globalization, modernization and the future. They are against the use of English as an academic communication tool for accounting. Faculty and the dean opposed the program. Eventually the international accounting program was canceled, even though it was supported by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific Regions (UNESCAP).

Furthermore, administrator and faculty sanctioned me and the students who wrote their theses in English. These students were prohibited from participating in the master's degree symposiums at the university. This was a real low point for academic achievement.

It is not clear why English, as an academic accounting language, was so strongly opposed, even as the Ministry of Education has promoted English-Chinese bilingual class for some economic programs since 2000. My program, I think, simply unmasked their hypocrisy. I was once told, frankly, that my students could not write their theses in English because the faculty are not capable of judging the written work in English. This phenomenon is an evil consequence of "diluted higher education."

I sincerely hope our government will take action to end this "diluted education". I have been struggling against it for almost 17 years. I can no longer tolerate it. This "diluted education" exists, not only in my university, but also some prestigious universities all around China. "Diluted education" is counterfeit education. Unless and until we eliminate it, China's higher education will not be improved.

The author is a professor at Wuyi University at Jiangmen, Guangdong province, South China.