38 year old trained solicitor Faiz Siddiqui had studied modern history at Brasenose College at the University and had accused its staff of ‘negligent’ teaching of his specialist subject course on Indian imperial history which had led him to achieve average results. Siddiqui believes he could have had a high flying career as an international commercial lawyer if he had not got low grades in university and therefore, decided to sue the university.
Times of India as reported that Siddiqui’s team has put it down to four out of seven teaching staff at the university being on sabbatical leave at the same time during the 1999-2000 academic year. His legal team put the blame on one professor, David Washbrook, an expert on the history of southern India between 18th and 20th century claiming that Mr Washbrook had a ‘boring’ standard of teaching as a result of the intolerable pressure he suffered due to shortage of staff.
Siddiqui’s solicitor Rager Mallalieu said it was not a personal attack on the teacher.
"There is no personal criticism of Dr Washbrook. Our target is on the university's back for allowing this to happen," Mallalieu told the court.
Siddiqui claims he suffered from depression and insomnia and links this to his disappointing examination results.
When the law suit was initially filed, Oxford University had claimed it to be baseless and had asked it to be struck as it had been almost 16 years since Siddiqui had graduated. But in an 180page judgement by Justice Kerr last week, the court ruled that Oxford University does have a case to answer.
An education expert at Buckingham Universoty, Professor Alan Smithers has said that this will be a test case.
"This is a test case and in future universities will have to ensure that what they do stands up to critical inspection in the courts. In the past, universities have been quite cavalier about the quality of their teaching.
"If Mr Siddiqui wins, this will open the door to a flood of other students who do not think they got the degree they deserved because of issues about the teaching they received."
Oxford University has declined to comment on this development.
