Should Exams In Schools be Abolished?
Students in primary schools have been exhaling with relief in recent weeks. Now that the exam results are official, the partying can begin. Exams are seen as a necessary evil by many students. time-consuming, but necessary. But are exams actually required? Are they also evil?
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education’s performance this year significantly declined. The best candidate received 440 marks, down from 453 last year. There were 9,770 candidates who received 400 or more, down from 12,205 in 2018 and 9,846 in 2017. According to a review of the 2019 results, the number of candidates in the 300–400 range increased from 223,862 to 243,320.
The testing system has some shortcomings. The information delivered is constrained by the curriculum. Students are instructed in accordance with the established syllabus. Beyond what is on the syllabus, not much is taught. When a student struggles with a particular subject, they sign up for coaching sessions or look for private tutoring.
Several books but no play
Students frequently memorise their subjects without thinking about them. As a result, many students pass exams via cramming. Most students have anxiety as they approach their exams. They experience the anxiety and stress of exams at a very young age.
Exams are merely the first in a succession of assessments that introduce children to a competitive environment. But they are given an excessive amount of prominence. Not only the students but also their parents and teachers experience anxiety during the examination time and until the results are announced. It is portrayed as a life-or-death struggle.
Due to the stress of exams, students do not have enough free time for games or to pursue their interests. Failure in the exam causes students to feel self-conscious and have a poor perception of themselves. Sometimes under the stress of having to perform, students lose it and take drastic actions like fleeing their families or even committing themselves.
There have been occasions where exams have left some students feeling so traumatised and dejected that they tragically commit themselves. In suicide cases, a potential career or organisation may have lost out on a person who could have created incredible teams of experts, contributed valuable, inventive new ideas, methods, and innovations, or helped solve significant, difficult challenges.
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They receive sound advise from school psychologists or counsellors nowadays on how to improve classroom instruction and cope with test pressure.
One’s chances of success can be increased by maintaining a positive outlook. It is crucial to clarify right away that employers must be confident that the graduates they hire possess the necessary knowledge, skills, understanding, and other qualities to contribute positively to their organisation.
Should Exams In Schools be Abolished?
George Magoha, cabinet secretary for education. Exams don’t really offer a chance for original problem-solving, critical analysis, or concept evaluation.
Question paper leaks, copying, and cheating in test rooms are now routine occurrences. The examination process has also been compromised by corruption and other unethical practises. The students suffer as a result of some lecturers checking exam papers without properly evaluating them. Exams award the student with a grade or a degree.
The current educational system does not assist students in finding their calling in life or in making a good income. The young person who does not receive the desired number of points suffers the most.
Do national exams like the KCPE effectively and thoroughly assess real learning?
No, in my view. Is it possible to more accurately assess if learning has occurred? Undeniably, yes. In my opinion, the two- to three-hour written exam that requires students to sit down and concentrate while being prohibited from using any notes, texts, or other sources of information almost always measures how well a student has remembered, memorised, and is able to recall a substantial amount of factual material when under pressure. I’ve had far too many conversations with students to doubt that these tests reward individuals with good memories.
Memorised information
The majority of exams have a specific topic and ask students to list, describe, identify, or explain. They don’t really offer a chance to think critically, solve problems creatively, or evaluate ideas. Some students have received coaching in order to develop the ability to pass tests and show a genuine aptitude for doing so.
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This does not necessarily show how competent they are in specific areas, either, because after one exam, students are pressed into service to cram their heads with yet more information in order to prepare for the next.
How much of our knowledge is actually retained? Is the knowledge they learned thorough or just focused on getting a passing grade? How much of their memorization is actually applicable in everyday life? People who want to study attend school, college, or universities. The facilitation of that learning process by teachers at all levels should include giving students feedback on their learning in order to help them get better.
Learners are not given the opportunity to improve by reflecting on their errors during national exams. Giving exam papers back or giving students personalised feedback on their mistakes is not standard procedure. Academics frequently cite the problems with plagiarism, cheating, and collusion they encounter in other types of tests as one of the main reasons why formal, written, sit-down exams at the national level are necessary (particularly in several subject fields).
What are we looking for in exams?
Exams serve as measurements of a student’s knowledge. The current educational system disregards each student’s unique abilities and intelligence. Exams are used by parents, instructors, and others to assess a student’s potential. Beyond the curriculum, not much is taught, and only exams are used to assign grades or establish a student’s degree. The examination system needs to be examined for instances of cheating, question paper leaks, and other corrupt behaviour. The purpose of education should be to prepare students for the difficult challenges of life.
Exams are designed to assess a student’s knowledge over a given period of time and determine if they have successfully completed a particular course of study. The teacher can determine a student’s level of subject comprehension through tests. Both the teacher and the parents are pleased with a successful outcome. When a student succeeds in a test, the teacher’s efforts are rewarded, and vice versa.
Exams are therefore used to assess a teacher’s commitment to his vocation. Exams assist parents in determining their child’s aptitude. When their children do well in the exams, parents are happy for them.
When exams are approaching, students become alert. They make use of their time for planning. They work very hard in exams to get good grades. Some schools recognise outstanding students with citations, certificates, and scholarships. Such rewards encourage students to put forth extra effort.
Exams assist teachers and parents in assessing the amount of effort students have put forth in acquiring knowledge. Tests are always given after instruction because they provide insight into how well students have mastered the material. A positive outcome makes the instructor feel reassured that he or she has been successful in educating the students, whereas a negative outcome shows that the teacher needs to put in more work.
Exams are thus a means of assessing a teacher’s commitment to his vocation. Parents can accurately judge their child’s aptitude with the aid of the results of the exams. They might help him advance in the topic if his academic performance is lacking. His parents would be pleased with him if he performed to their standards.
Should Exams In Schools be Abolished?
