A group of students from Algoma University in Brampton, Ontario, appear to be getting some less-than-positive reactions from the public after deciding to protest outside the school because of their own failing grades in a class.

Those gathered at the satellite campus this week claim that they all failed the same class, some of them twice, which they believe indicates some sort of issue with the professor and the course's marking system.

"Almost 100 students of Algoma University have failed twice," an apparent representative for the group said in a TikTok translated into English outside the institution, adding that "the fees they are being charged are very high."

They also claim they've performed well in their other classes, and have not had any proper explanation or response whatsoever from the instructor in question, who went on vacation following the end of the semester.

@AlgomaU

Whats happening at Algoma University Brampton campus. Is the management too reluctant to look into students facing serious issues. pic.twitter.com/jCaMJyj8zW

— Mohammed Waseem Khan (@waseem0601) January 3, 2024

Unfortunately for the picketers — who held signs demanding justice and stating that "something is fishy" with the marks — hardly anyone online seems sympathetic to their plight, with many noting that paying a high price for tuition does not guarantee doing well in a course.

"Just coz you pay tuition, that does not guarantee passing or a degree," one person wrote on X yesterday, speculating that "it seems at least one prof had the audacity to tell the students to study to pass the course."

"Cry me a river. Unheard of… students failing," another added sarcastically in response to the TikTok appeal, which has now been viewed more than 71k times in one day, along with being cross-posted on other platforms.

Unless the teacher deliberately failed, thats life. U cant just say “we pay a lot” if u failed the course once I understand how can u fail twice, u probably didnt study enough. I did my masters while working 40hrs a week in a stressful job. Looking for a copout

— Matt (@faroefool) January 5, 2024

Others are calling the protest a prime example of entitlement, sharing their own stories of having failed in school but accepting the result given. As one person wrote, "I have definitely failed courses but I never demonstrated or complained that the prof was on vacation... this is a bit weird."

There has also been a flurry of comments about international students in Canada, which have become a hot-button conversation topic in recent weeks.

Though a representative from Algoma told blogTO that the international student population at their Brampton outpost is high and that statistically, the group opposing their grades likely includes at least some people on study permits, they could not confirm how many.

Now people are protesting because they aren’t smart enough to pass a test , every time I think we’ve reached peak stupid we hit new levels

— Sportsfan (@Younger_81) January 5, 2024

The federal government instated new rules on January 1 to ensure international students can succeed in Canada, which included increasing the income requirement to from $10,000 to $20,645 to reflect the cost of living here.

The limit on how many hours international students can legally work while studying in the country was also recently amended, returning to the former 20-hour-per-week cap after a pilot program permitted working full-time.

Many are wondering if the students in the Algoma case were among those trying to work full-time hours while here on a student visa, which would ostensibly impact one's academic performance.

Ahh… entitlement at its best! Engineering students for ex don’t get to do this -nor should they! Wld you want a structural engineer who failed 2X to build sthg for you? Just accept the fact that you didn’t make the cut and move on. No one owes you anything. Sh*t up and sit down!

— Lisetta (@lizardskinard) January 5, 2024

The fake admission letter scandals, uptick in people on study permits seeking asylum and international students instructing one another on social media to use food banks to "get free food in Canada" have also made headlines in recent weeks as the government re-examines a system that Immigration Minister Marc Miller has likened to a "puppy mill."

It is part of the reason people in Ontario, at least, have started to doubt the credibility of some of the province's colleges and universities, with some institutions deemed "diploma mills" with "eroding standards."

One person on Reddit sparked a ton of discussion this week when they questioned if certain colleges in strip malls are even legal.

How can anyone do well at their full time studies when working 40 hrs/week? These “colleges” can’t possibly be producing well skilled/educated graduates. This is just dumbing down Canadian education standards. We are becoming a joke and it is embarrassing.

— Muladhara11 (@bestcoaster11) January 4, 2024

As one person noted in the comments section of that thread on Wednesday, "there are 1,335 learning institutions in Canada, with the most in Ontario. We don't have 1,300 quality schools in this country. This needs to be addressed ASAP."

In regards to the demonstration at Algoma's Brampton campus, the university told blogTO that it has "reached out to each student who is protesting grades assigned by one specific instructor" and is "taking their concerns very seriously, and led by the Dean of Science, is investigating urgently."

"We recognize the incredible stress these students are experiencing. Academic integrity and fairness are incredibly important to us and the university's Faculty of Science is stepping in to ensure each student is assessed fairly. We’re doing the best we can within the confines of academic integrity."

Here’s something they could try. Ready for this? I used this tactic when I was in school. It’s called STUDYING. Nobody will convince me they failed them on purpose. Did they or did they not have more wrong than right answers on their exam? Sick of these whiny entitled “students”

— 🇨🇦 BuBz 🥅 🏒 (@bubzshed) January 5, 2024

The representative also believes the number of students affected to be smaller than described on TikTok, perhaps closer to 20, though they were not able to confirm a figure. The students have also communicated to staff that they simply want their grades raised ASAP rather than have the school conduct a full and potentially lengthy academic review.

An update from that original TikToker confirmed that the picketers have been contacted by the school and have been promised a solution.