Why do you think this student is angry?

Why do you think a degree could be poor quality?

Fiona Pok enrolled in a business degree at ARU because she thought it could give her a glittering future job.

But after graduating in 2013, her hopes were dashed. She became angry and described her degree as a "mickey mouse" degree.

So she decided to sue the university.

Now she has triumphed after being winning a £61,000 payment. The payment was agreed between the school and Fiona.

Fiona says this was a win for her and other disgruntled students.

It also means a win because she had to fight very strongly against the university.

"In light of this settlement, I think universities should be careful about what they promise when advertising. I think they make promises they know that are not possible.

But a university spokesman said the payment does not mean Fiona is correct.

The university said they were told be that it would be easier to pay Fiona than keep fighting.

It all started in 2011 when Fiona moved to the UK from Hong Kong to study at ARU's Lord Ashcroft International Business School in Cambridge after being impressed by the school’s advertising.

She graduated with a first-class degree in international business strategy in 2013. But she says the university’s claims to be a "renowned centre of excellence" that offered a "high quality of teaching" were not true.

She said soon after starting she found out that things were not true. She hopes that her actions will set a precedent so that students can get value for their money. And if they don’t then the university can be punished.

Fiona says lecturers arrived late to classes and said students were often told to "self study" with little help.

She says she was "locked" in a room by staff members when she tried to protest against the university at her graduation ceremony.

Fiona says she was forced off the stage during the graduation ceremony.

Lawyers say this could set a precedent for other students to also do the same.

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=5, B=1, C=2, D=8, E=7, F=4, G=6, H=3

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1. Las Vegas is a glittering place to be.

2. My hopes were dashed when I learned that I had failed the test.

3. Don’t buy cheap mickey mouse products from that man, he is a cheat.

4. Liverpool have triumphed in the football/soccer Champion’s League.

5. Investors are disgruntled after they found out that the company had told lies about their profits.

6. In light of learning the truth many people want their money back from the school.

7. Sarah, I was impressed with your excellent writing.

8. This was the first café to offer half price coffee for take out. It has set a precedent that many other café’s are copying.

    

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1. How would you react if you thought you had a glittering future but your hopes were dashed?

2. Do you know of/or have you heard of other mickey mouse schools/education? Please describe.

3. How do you feel about Fiona’s triumph? Do you think it is bad or good for other schools?

4. Do you think this will set a precedent for other students?

5. In light of this story, can you think of some negative results for education? For example schools might increase fees to pay for extra insurance.

6. What disgruntles you about education in your country? Why?

7. What impressed you about Fiona?/What did not impress you about her?