Some law students use social media language in exams – GIMPA lecturer

Some students studying law in the country use social media language and shorthand in answering examination questions, a law lecturer has said.

According to Justice Srem-Sai, who teaches at the GIMPA law school, the use of social media words and symbols appear to have been engrained in students making it difficult for them to write coherently.

“Sometimes when you are marking scripts you see social media short hand, the only thing you don’t see is emoji’s and I’m sure very soon we will be seeing emoji’s. A friend and I had a conversation and he said if you were to mark the English alone you could mass failure.

“Language and communication of thoughts is a huge challenge for many students. I wonder why students just can’t communicate their thoughts on paper, “ he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday.

Justice Sai also among other factors,  blamed the mass failure at the Ghana School of law on the rising working-students syndrome.

According to him, unlike in the past where only a few law students were working while in school, the situation is on the reverse currently, as many of the students at the school of law are now in full time employment with high positions at their firm.

“Inasmuch there is a general decline in the program itself, generally the law students will have to answer some of these questions too.
Previously, you are in the law school hundred percent, you are not in school and working at the same time. But today, the trend has reversed.
It’s only about 10 percent who are full time students, a lot of them are full time employees with high positions who are also studying law. Some have families as well. That means that you have less time to learn to
make the grades”.

According to latest results from the school of law, 284 students who took the professional law exams last year are to repeat the entire program because they failed.

Another 177 were referred in various papers.

The students failed mostly in Family law, Evidence and Advocacy.

So far, only 64 students are known to have successfully passed the exams.

The papers included Criminal procedure, Civil procedure, company and commercial practice, law practice mgt., legal accountancy, evidence and interpretation, Conveyancing and drafting.