Relaxed attendance rules at Hong Kong’s Baptist University will improve teaching quality

As a lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University’s Language Centre, I support the university’s recent decision to relax attendance requirements for all its students.

In the past, students skipping more than 30 per cent of classes would fail a course automatically. Under the new policy, they can still pass with less-than-perfect attendance records.

Despite its potential impact on students’ class participation, this new policy may improve the overall quality of teaching and stimulate innovation among teaching staff at the university.

University students are young adults who should learn to make responsible decisions on how to spend their time. If they find a better way to study course materials than attending lectures, the university should respect their choices.

Also, under the new policy, all university faculty members must rethink how to attract students with more effective teaching, as their attendance is no longer guaranteed.

In the new semester, I will experiment with the flipped classroom approach in my English courses. Unlike conventional lectures where teachers present new material in class, I have created a series of video lectures students will watch in advance.