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Exams for the sake of exams

30 Sep 2022

  • Exams for the sake of exams 
Over the past few years, Sri Lanka’s education system has faced a plethora of issues, resulting in a chaotic situation with regard to exams and academic activities. While the situation has improved somewhat, although not to the extent that the education authorities claim, it is yet to return to normalcy. However, as seen in the case of holding the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) Exam in December of this year, restoring education is not a mere matter of expediting or resuming a delayed process.  The education authorities claim that A/L students have had adequate time to prepare for the exam, and that various opportunities have been granted to support academic activities. This is in a context where a recent survey has shown that only a low percentage of A/L students feel that they are ready to face the exam, while there are concerns relating to inadequate preparation time for those repeating the exam. It goes without saying that transport-related issues, power cuts, and the impacts of rising inflation on schoolchildren are also matters that have affected their ability to obtain a quality education. However, the education authorities are determined to hold the exam in December as planned, and they do not seem to be concerned about the A/L students’ grievances.  It is true that postponing exams further is not an advisable step for an education system that has seen repeated interruptions over almost three years. In fact, further delays affect not only the educational activities of those waiting to sit for exams, but also those that are yet to complete their academic activities. On the contrary, what needs to be done is urgently expediting academic activities and related exams. However, this urgency should be dealt with through a well-planned process that not only addresses time constraints, but also pays attention to the quality and results-related aspects. In the process of getting back on track, this urgency should not put at risk the quality of academic activities, the children’s psychological growth within the education system, and the quality and the results of exams. To ensure this, schoolchildren and teachers should have adequate time to complete the relevant academic activities, and it is the education authorities’ responsibility to ensure that the quality of and time spent on academic activities are balanced. In the current instance, the main argument expressed by the education authorities was that schoolchildren have been given adequate opportunities to resume education properly, and that they have to prioritise the national situation over individual concerns. However, children’s concerns cannot be disregarded as mere individual grievances, as these individuals make up a considerable segment of A/L students that are to sit for the exam.  That is not to say that the education authorities must postpone exams based merely on schoolchildren’s complaints. However, it is crucial that they take these complaints into account and conduct a fair assessment regarding the extent to which they have been able to complete the required academic activities. It is also crucial to take into account the fact that the economic crisis has affected the day-to-day lives and thereby the mental health situation of a large number of schoolchildren, and that too is a factor that decides how ready schoolchildren are to face a crucial exam. The only result the education sector can hope to achieve by rushing to conduct an exam for students who have not had the required time or environment to prepare for it is the mere completion of the exam, which by no means will constitute a proper evaluation of the children’s knowledge or skills.  


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