A group of university students have launched a teacher-assessment Website to let students from all over the country run the rule over school staff.

 

However, a few strongly worded opinions on the site have left some Shanghai teachers upset, while a lawyer yesterday warned that malicious comments could get the Website into trouble.

 

The site, www.pinglaoshi.com, allows students and graduates to rate any teacher on their charisma, affinity, teaching style, skills and quality.

 

Users are also encouraged to give reasons why they like or dislike the teacher.

 

Teachers, who must register with their real names, are also allowed to make clarifications on the same Webpage.

 

A student with the penname Xiao Jun said that Zhang Rulun, a renowned philosophy professor at Fudan University, always gave low grades to management majors, "no matter how hard they work." Zhang was not available for comment yesterday, but another teacher said he was not happy about the Website.

 

Yang Ruzeng, a professor at Tongji University, said students' comments were not necessarily that objective.

 

"They love Mr Nice Guy," Yang said. "That's why lenient teachers are graded high, but not strict ones."

 

He added that some universities invited students to rate their teachers as part of their work performance evaluation.

 

City lawyer Zhu Hanhua said the Website is responsible for opinions on it.

 

Any malicious or insulting words that clearly identify an individual could lead to defamation action.

 

Website staff, who refused to be named, said they check comments to filter out derogatory posts, but can't look at every single one.

 

To date, more than 30,000 users have registered on the Website, with comments involving 30,000 university teachers and professors from all over the country.

 

(Shanghai Daily April 14, 2007)