The University Student Between the Stamp and the Reward
Laws are established as general rules to be binding, with the aim of maintaining public order and regulating relationships. These rules are formulated by humans—the legislators—and, being positive (man-made) norms, they may create obstacles in the implementation process, contrary to what is desired. This introduction is not intended to advocate for chaos, as most laws are enacted for regulatory purposes. Therefore, it is natural for any law to encounter errors during its application, across all fields; since these are worldly, positive rules subject to imperfection, it is necessary to address and update any errors or problems arising from the implementation of laws and regulations due to legislative flaws.
This topic leads us to some regulatory laws and bylaws, including those recently decided by the University of Kuwait and other government educational institutions, mandating the use of electronic fingerprinting to regulate and verify attendance procedures for faculty members and students. In principle, this regulatory decision is positive, regardless of the fact that the student system differs from that of employees in other ministries and government entities, with some students relying on their families for transportation. However, we assume good faith in organizing the lecture system. Our goal is not to abolish the decision, but to address the errors resulting from its implementation.
According to student experiences, some faculties operate under systems different from other disciplines, such as the Faculties of Medicine and Law. What prompted me to write these words is the numerous complaints and appeals regarding the incompatibility of the system, particularly with this faculty, which relies on a single, unified final exam. Mid-semester, professors often compress the curriculum to grant students longer breaks—typically deducted from lecture hours—to prepare for exams, contrary to the university calendar. Additionally, there is a need to coordinate schedules between professors and students to suit both parties, which differs from lecture timings that often end before their scheduled duration. Consequently, students are forced to remain until the fingerprinting time, disrupting the daily routine and exacerbating traffic congestion. With these dilemmas and other issues that cannot be fully covered here, both sides face stagnation and complications.
While the objectives may be sound, the outcomes require remediation and facilitation, especially given students’ differing circumstances. This can only be achieved after the administration listens to their problems and resolves them in a manner that accommodates both parties. This could involve coordinating lecture times and days at the beginning and end of the academic year, managed by university administration in collaboration with faculty members, and aligning them with the fingerprinting schedule by making it “flexible” to suit the nature of each subject.
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Students often complain about the lack of utility of the social allowance. While encouraging self-reliance and responsibility is commendable, and aware of current circumstances, the issue requires a different approach: merging the 50-dinar child allowance into the university student allowance to help resolve part of the problem.
Ali Al-Hussain Al-Nasser
