[sanddrag]

At my school, from what I hear it is quite common for half of a class to fail the (engineering related) class. If that isn't the case, most likely the professor is lowering the standard so that something like a 55% would be considered passing. I don't think either way to go is the answer. There is a definite problem arising with education, and I don't think anyone has a clue how to fix it.

I see a deficiency in the quantity of quality instructors and new, innovative, and creative ways of teaching. For some reason, I get an awful fear that engineering professors ended up teaching because they didn't succeed in the real world. Whether that's true or not, I have no idea, but I can't help but wonder sometimes. Another problem is that I believe a school will hire an instructor, that instructor will put in a good effort for maybe a year while they get all their materials prepared, maybe put on a little show to get promoted or to get some more classes, then the school thinks they are great, then the professor kind of kicks back and does just the bare minimum necessary to keep his job and then the school can't ditch him because he's been their so long and they don't have any compelling reason and they don't want to bother finding somebody new. At least that's my take on it.

I don't think 50% should be a passing grade, but I don't think half a class should fail.

I think schools need an extensive course/instructor review program which can target and correct problems in the classroom. Lowering the standards of grading is not a solution to the problem of an ineffective instructor.