March 10, 2007

Hiding the truth by Sheffield University - Exam Fraud

'... This website shows why there is a need for anonymous marking, the flaws of the anonymous marking system that was present when I was a student. It shows how it failed to protect me, the failings of anonymous marking. What I also show is a better system.

The government is very keen to get people to go to university. During my search for information for this article I have inspected several university prospectuses. For some reason no university prospectus mentions the issues discussed on this site. No prospectus mentions that they may (or may not) have staff who can abuse the power to hinder your progress and if they do the university takes no action against them.

There is information that I hope all bodies representing students can use to gain fairer marking and a better appeals system. The information here is material that Sheffield university has tried to stop coming out publicly...

What is anonymous marking?

Under a system of anonymous marking candidates’ names are supposedly not meant to be visible to examiners. Candidates are meant to put an anonymous candidate number on them so in theory the examiners don’t know who the candidate is. This website shows the flaws in the sysstem...

I can see students of white origin- especially in medicine is “what evidence do you have of racism or examiner bias? It doesn‘t exist.” Undergraduate education in courses allied to medicine takes place in the NHS. Well consider the words of Sir John Blofield QC the high court judge “the NHS is riddled with institutional racism” is damning.

I can also see students, especially in medicine, saying that it isn’t in the interests of a university to fail a student on purpose. It is always, without exception, in the interest of the university that students should pass exams. People who engage in discriminatory practices are contravening the university’s interests and add their colleagues workload. Unfortunately the link between knowledge and behaviour is not always so obvious. If it were so, then no person would ever smoke, take drugs etc. For example how many doctors smoke?

What is written in this site is partially based on my experiences at Sheffield university. It may (or may not) be possible that similar things have happened at other universities. In July 2003 the Times Higher ran a story called Almost 40% fail to comply with race laws...

It is not just in medicine where racism/bias can occur. On 24 November 2000 the Steel Press Issue 36, 24th November 2000 ran a story called Racist Slur Exposed. This article described how Sheffield university law lecturer Margaret Wilkie was accused of marking derogatory and offensive reference to black people twice in lectures. The Steel Press had heard a tape in which she made a remark about a “nigger” and referred to Nigeria as a White man’s grave. Note that people like Wilkie may assess students...

The dispute at Sheffield- did the “anonymous marking” system protect me? A case study.

Unfortunately I had a long dispute there summarised by a few events. Most of these letters have been read in several courts or they have been quoted in newspaper articles so they are in the public domain. Those marked with * have come out in court or are in court documents or judgments.

2 February 1998 the letter from the Commission for Racial Equality to me. “Mr. Page, (the undergraduate dean) states that the medical school does not monitor failure rates but seems to have a belief, (possibly divine) that their procedures are free and fair from racial bias.”

11 May 1998 “It appears to me that some people do not want him to carry on his medical studies.” Dr Rao consultant. It was partly on the basis of this letter that an examination decision was overturned even with anonymous marking. However I only managed to do this because I had managed to get hold of information that usually only the university had hold of. Students normally didn’t have this information.

2 July 1998 the then Registrar and Secretary sent a memo to all departments saying "A recent case has highlighted the danger to the University's reputation of dealing with personal matters on university headed note-paper...

This must be because of Professor Mortimer from Hull York University Medical School falsely accusing me of being a drug taker on the basis of my exam papers. I note that she is the Deputy Chief Examiner for the Royal College of Psychiatrists. If such a person can falsely accuse an ethnic minority student of being a drug taker on the basis of exam papers I wonder how many times the UK medical royal colleges have falsified exam results? She is also the external examiner for the University of Birmingham department of psychiatry.

19 July 1999 “This does raise some important issues about the conduct of University examinations and courses.” Richard Allan MP for Sheffield Hallam- then of the House of Commons Select Committee of Education and Employment...

On 12 January 2001 I was due to face a review panel- it was adjourned as we had lodged an appeal and that was outstanding. In response to a direct question from Richard Price- then solicitor from Howells solicitors and now of Richard Price and Company (ceased trading) Weetman admitted that he personally selected the medical school’s documents. When you read Richard’s letter you will see how selective Weetman was. He manipulated evidence and procedures.

Weetman has preached about standards that the GMC sets. Consider regulation 51 - one of their rules states “You must be honest and trustworthy when writing reports, completing or signing forms, or providing evidence in litigation or other formal inquiries. This means that you must take reasonable steps to verify any statement before you sign a document. You must not write or sign documents which are false or misleading because they omit relevant information. “

Do the words practice what you preach come to mind? When it suits them they will apply the rules to the hilt. When it doesn’t they won’t...

Thoughts to ponder on

I have often wondered since the 1 June 1998 decision came out how many people have been failed on purpose? How many people have appealed and been refused unjustifiably? What would have happened if I hadn’t kept the information? I have also wondered what sort of justice does a university like Sheffield administer when an external examiner- Professor Mortimer- can falsely accuse a student of being mentally ill and taking drugs and yet they make the student re-sit?

...
My advice to anyone who does not have a white English name is not to go to any university where they do not unconditionally return assessments back to candidates when marked. Always ask what safeguards they have, no matter what level-GCSE, A level etc. YOU are the consumer, it is your right to choose...'
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Read it all at: http://www.examfraud.co.uk

You may also wish to read: THE COMMISSION FOR RACIAL EQUALITY INVESTIGATION into Sheffield Medical School, by The United Kingdom Council for Human Rights

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

SHAME

Anonymous said...

PENALISE THEM

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I had a long dispute at The University of Sheffield, my concerns are with the University Equal opportunities Policy; as the Faculty does not record, nor have access to, details of ethnic origin of individual students. The commission For Racial Equality should investigate the disparity practices of The University Of Sheffield.
Penalise the University.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I know too well Sheffields underhand tricks having suffered first hand. They do a very good job of destroying the career of young medical students. They do an even better job at covering there tracks in legal and regulation jargon. Its almost like they take a sadistic pleasure in destroying a students life. These faculty are very dangerous, being in a position of power and authority. KNowing full well students do not have the financial backing or time to slog it out in a legal dispute. Universiy pf Sheffield Medical school is a rotting undercover cesspool of disguised racism hidden under the cloak of rightussness.