I read in today's paper that National's new education policy will include mandatory academic testing of all school children - starting from the age of five.
So, how would this work? Every five year old that starts school will have their reading and maths skills tested - before they've even been taught anything, or had a chance to absorb anything - and then what, the parents told the child can't read yet? Well, yeah. A five year old generally can't read.
It just got me depressed, reading that today. Education is in a shambles in NZ right now, and National's way to solve that is mandatory testing from age five? Unbelievable.
When I was a child, I don't think we started doing exams until form one. But they were school run exams - we had no national exams (or testing) until fifth form. As a very bright student, I just about had a nervous breakdown preparing for school cert. Passed, no problem, but I put so much pressure on myself that, yes, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Maybe the fact that my best friend had killed herself that year contributed as well.
But I dread to think of the potential pressure on five year olds for this national testing that National would like to introduce. It seems to be a extreme swing in the other direction from NCEA. Why not just go back to nation-wide exams for 5th formers (whatever the equivalent is now) upwards, and get rid of school zoning? That way parents will be able to send their kids to the good schools and know their children are being taught properly, without the need for mandatory testing from age five.
I sometimes wonder if politician have any working brain cells at all.
So, how would this work? Every five year old that starts school will have their reading and maths skills tested - before they've even been taught anything, or had a chance to absorb anything - and then what, the parents told the child can't read yet? Well, yeah. A five year old generally can't read.
It just got me depressed, reading that today. Education is in a shambles in NZ right now, and National's way to solve that is mandatory testing from age five? Unbelievable.
When I was a child, I don't think we started doing exams until form one. But they were school run exams - we had no national exams (or testing) until fifth form. As a very bright student, I just about had a nervous breakdown preparing for school cert. Passed, no problem, but I put so much pressure on myself that, yes, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Maybe the fact that my best friend had killed herself that year contributed as well.
But I dread to think of the potential pressure on five year olds for this national testing that National would like to introduce. It seems to be a extreme swing in the other direction from NCEA. Why not just go back to nation-wide exams for 5th formers (whatever the equivalent is now) upwards, and get rid of school zoning? That way parents will be able to send their kids to the good schools and know their children are being taught properly, without the need for mandatory testing from age five.
I sometimes wonder if politician have any working brain cells at all.
You don't get many chances to get a kid's education right, and if you test at five, at least you can plan that kid's education over the next year with some confidence that you will teach productively.
ReplyDeleteIt also means you can ask the parents to help out in certain areas and there's a degree of individual attention that I like.
JC
First, literacy and numeracy skill levels do differ among 5 year olds.
ReplyDeleteSecond, there are leftists out there claiming that all state and private schools are equally good. If you test the kids at 6 years old and find a big gap, they'll say there was the same gap when they started school. So you need to test them at 5 just to prove it isn't so.
Third, there's no reason for the kids to feel a lot of pressure since the results have no consequences for them. In fact, the lack of incentive for the kids to do well could be the biggest flaw in the proposal.
If the kids are doing bad at these tests, can we then hold the teachers and their unions accountable and perhaps insist on some results when they are next demanding a pay rise.
ReplyDeleteProbably misreported as usual.
ReplyDeleteThey should be ASSESSED at five and TESTED at six, to see how well they have done or what needs more attention.
My four-year old can read and can count to 100(Gloats a proud parent!)
Provided they can say the names of their private parts in Maori they will probably pass.
ReplyDeleteGot it in one Andrei.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Oswald
ReplyDeleteWhat? Leave education to parents? You can't be that stupid Lucyna, politicians knows best. After the teachers union of course.
ReplyDeleteI think I must be, Berend.
ReplyDeleteAs an anecdote, I was one of the 'brightest' kids at my rural primary school but when I sat scholarship exams for a secondary boarding school I didn't have a clue, math esp. Standards might have helped make me more competitve at that stage. I probably took until 5th form to catch-up with the city kids.
ReplyDelete