Comment by mbohdana

While the issue raised is valid, and the article makes some good points, the author seems to want an unreasonable level of control over students.

> Chronic absenteeism. As a friend in Sociology put it, “Attendance is a HUGE problem—many just treat class as optional.”

Class is optional. Students are paying for a service, they are not required to come to class nor do the work. If a student chooses to do the abovementioned and fails, it is their choice and their problem. Let people make their own decisions.

>They can’t sit in a seat for 50 minutes. … I’ve even told them to plan ahead and pee before class, like you tell a small child before a road trip, but it has no effect.

I wonder why people don’t want to come to your class.

> Last semester I had a good student tell me, “hey you know that kid who sits in front of me with the laptop? Yeah, I thought you should know that all he does in class is gamble on his computer.”

The good student should get a life or join some Stasi-inspired organization. This is scary, why can't we just leave people alone?