HOMS, Syria (North Press) – Corruption in Syria is not limited to economic and commercial institutions, but rather has spread to Syrian universities, where university professors receive bribes, enabling students to exams without effort. Meanwhile, some students who refuse to pay are faced with hard exam questions which delay or prevent their graduation.
In Ba’ath University, in the city center of Homs, rumors surfaced that some students passed their exams after bribing their professors, or would otherwise be subjected to particularly difficult exam questions that would curb their successes or graduation.
Ahmed Sarim, a Civil Engineering student in Homs University, said “what is happening in our faculty is unreasonable, there is severe corruption regarding paying bribes in turn for passing grades.”
“The those who succeed do it through continuous effort, or pay professors for their success,” he added.
The Faculty of Law topped all faculties whose courses are being publicly sold in exchange for amounts ranging from SYP 100,000 to 1,000,000.
Tyma’a Taymor, a graduated from the Faculty of Law, said that she passed in some materials due to her own efforts while she passed others by paying bribes.
“Most university students pass their exams depending on their own efforts, but in turn they face some obstacles regarding the hard exam questions,” she added.
“Corruption became common and public, and all faculties know that,” she added.
An administrative source from the university who preferred to remain anonymous told North Press that purchasing courses has become a public spectacle in Syrian universities.
Accusations of bribery were proven against six teachers who were referred to the Judicial Council, but the latter did not incriminate them or even fine them, according to the 2020 records of the Disciplinary Committees at Ba’ath University.
The student places a specific sign on his examination answer sheet and then visits the teacher at his home later, they take out the answer sheet and allow the student to write on it again, provided that he uses the same pen.
Others said that some students after paying the agreed upon amount, they take the examination question sheet one day before examination.
Meanwhile, Ghadir (a pseudonym), a law graduate, said “the graduation year cost me SYP 3,000,000; this is what is happening and is known for everyone.”
What is happening in the Syrian faculties is mainly caused by war, according to Majed Halom, a professor at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Homs.
“I do not agree with the proposition that corruption has become a rule; it exists, and I am not in defending my colleagues, but there are many who have not and will not agree to spread corruption,” he added.
What is happening “harms the teachers and the educational process, and it is perhaps one of the main reasons for the decline in educational value and the global ranking of Syrian universities,” he stated.