Being frustrated with my students

[loosenmymynd]

I'm a BAME lecturer in one of these universities where education has been commodified and students from developing countries are their target market - think South Asia.
I have passion for impactful teaching, but I've been doing some soul-searching and I do not like who I'm becoming around my students.
Teaching is hard, frustrating and almost impossible due to limitations on the part of my students. And I am now seeing myself resenting the very people who you would have called 'my people'.
Some of examples:

1. Students have in some way (which I can't wrap my head around) have gained admission based on having first class/ second class upper degrees from their home countries and have passed the English Language test, yet they can't communicate - cannot understand simple conversations, can't communicate, can't read or write.
2. Students don't show up to class as expected. If they did, they are not 'present' - have no pen or notepad/ laptop (well most can't write anyway) and cannot engage in simple subject discussions. A postgraduate lecture often derails from the subject matter to explaining basic English.

Say for example, the topic for the day is Ethical dilemmas in legal cases, we'd end up spending the time just explaining what a dilemma is.

1. Some don't even know how to log onto a computer.

Yesterday, I was teaching a masters student how to do Ctrl+alt+del.

1. They turn up late to lectures and meetings (think 1-1.5hrs late) and feel offended if they're told off for this. No willingness to unlearn and learn new ways.
2. Don't show up to meetings and don't communicate. Don't respond to emails.

If at all, they suggest an alternative time that they would be happy to meet as though all has to be at their convenience. Isn't the primary reason for being in the UK to study?

1. Do not do assignments or meet deadlines.
2. Display misogynistic behaviours, for example, some males feel frustrated when been told off by a female lecturer and I can see their rage in the way they shrug their arms in the air or stomp their foot when sat down as though they're about to fly off the handle.
3. Just always making excuses. Never making effort to pull their weight. File complaint when they don't pass or blame you for not teaching them when they fail.
4. Expect you to give them a 50% pass mark to get them over even if they've done nothing to deserve it.

10. Can't send a proper email yet they complain that they're not exposed to the industry or doing experiential learning. I'm not confident to take them anywhere is the honest truth.

These examples are 0.1% of what I'm dealing with. But I have come to a place where I'm now resenting most of my students and other than my contractual obligation, I have zero respect for them in the professional sense.
I don't know why. I've lost empathy for them.

YABU Be mad at the systems which have failed these people and our system which is taking advantage of them.
YANBU They are really not making an effort to meet the standards expected of a UK graduate programme.

If anyone has any good advice on how to cope with this (excluding speaking to senior management- they don't care; they just want these people's money), please share.

I used to work in a school that targeted Chinese students. The students had very poor English and were late, would fall asleep in class and so on.

I eventually left but while I was there I was the squeaky wheel. Management just wanted bums on seats but I refused to have them in my class if they weren't pulling their weight.

It's rubbish though, I sympathise.

Very interesting thread. Also heard that bribery isn't unheard of as well.

This thread is eye opening. My son has just started his degree, knowing how hard he worked to achieve his A levels it seems unbelievable that he could be on the same course as someone who can't speak English.

It is a shocking state of affairs.

It is shocking, sounds as though they are literally buying their degrees. Scandalous

The people you described are often found working in the care sector to support their studies. There are a few excellent people, but the vast majority are absolutely clueless, have no English skills and seem to be unable to actually
hold any information. 6 months down the line it's like working with new starts on their first day, every shift. Many of these are "highly skilled" in their home countries and doing Masters degrees here.

I also have issues with men getting angry at me giving them a telling off, or even simply explaining the role. They do what they like.

The overseas carers who are actually excellent in their role get frustrated by these people and feel it paints their countries in a terrible light, they find it embarrassing.

Honestly these replies are shocking. How on earth is this allowed to happen?

This is changing - from Jan 2024 students will no longer be allowed to bring dependents with them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65683046.amp

It’s allowed to happen because without these overseas fees many universities would quite frankly be broke .

It's the government that has commodified education, not universities.

Finding it interesting (terrifying??) hearing these posts about the NHS. I was in hospital with sepsis a few months back and while most of the staff were lovely despite obviously being so busy, the night shift nurses in particular had a couple who just didn't seem to communicate... one changed my leg dressing, and I told her she was doing it far too tight. She just shook her head silently at me and carried on. I had to have it removed the next morning after limping to reception in absolute agony. I wasn't sure at the time whether it was just a rushed, harried nurse making a mistake or if she actually couldn't speak English well enough to understand me.

If it really was the latter then surely that's just putting more pressure on the NHS and other nurses??