Russia: A Crisis Brewing in the Classrooms(university grade for sale)

When economics student Mikhail Popov struggled with a final exam at a regional university, he was offered an alternative — pay $200 and get a good grade.

"I wasn't sure of how well I would do, so I agreed in order to avoid any problems," Popov said.

It is a common practice at his university, he said: "A lot of people do it — the majority."

Once the pride of the Soviet system, the education system helped unite the population, giving millions a similar start in life. Its strengths included science and mathematics.

During the 1990s, however, inadequate state financing shook the system to its core, encouraging the growth of now-rampant corruption.

This problem is rampant within the educational system throughout the former Soviet Union.

I have a close Christian friend who works for me as a translator. She got her degree from a University in the Ukraine (I will not name the university out of a very real concern for her safety and well-being). Anyway, on numerous occasions her teachers gave her a grade lower than she had actually earned and told her to "see me in my office regarding your final grade," in order to extort money from her. One example: When she went and the door was closed her English professor told her the following: "I know that I did not give you the proper grade and that you know the English language, better than I do but the only way you will get a higher final grade (the proper grade she had actually earned)is IF you pay me $100 - $200 USD" (the higher the amount the higher her final grade would be). Because she is a born-again Christian, my friend refused. She ended up graduating with lower grades but with her integrity and morals intact. She is a tremendous translator/individual who has a masterful command over the English language and by the grace of God she has no trouble finding work.

The sad reality is students on the graduate and undergraduate level throughout Russia and the CIS do not even have to attend any of their classes. All they have to do is show up for the final exams, take them and if their grades are not "good enough" all they have to do is slip the teacher $200 USD or more and presto-chango they get an "A"/"5".

A good grade is part of your tuition in some US Universities.
I have a friend whose daughter just graduated from a top ranked US law school, who told me that they graded on a scale where she couldn’t get below a B+. She was an affirmative action student (admittedly, her mother thought that it was a badge of honor), so I have no idea if the policy extended to the whole class, but that is the impression that I got.

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