Low expectations nurture mediocrity

Thirty-three students at Nanjing Normal University have submitted a petition to the university asking for the removal of their teacher Jonathan Ben-Israel, a 23 year old from Canada, who they accuse of being too strict and aggressive. In his class, students get penalized if they are late for class, play with their cellphones in class, fail to submit homework on time, or plagiarize their assignments.

It may be a little harsh to penalize students for a single instance of tardiness throughout a semester, but other than that there is nothing wrong with these requirements. Students should expect a fail grade if they plagiarize or do not submit their work on time.

If these rules were clearly explained at the start of the semester, they should have been honored by both parties, unpleasant as they may be. This is how the world works.