We might marvel at the progress made in every field of study, but the methods of testing a persons knowledge and ability remain as primitive as ever they were. It really is extraordinary that after all these years, educationists have still failed to devise anything more efficient and reliable than examinations. For all the pious claim that examinations test what you know, it is common knowledge that they more often do the exact opposite.They may be a good means of testing memory, or the knack of working rapidly under extreme pressure, but they can tell nothing about a persons true ability and aptitude.
As anxiety-makers, examinations are second to none. That is because so much depends on them. They are the mark of success or failure in our society. Your whole future may be decided in one fateful day. It doesnt matter that you werent feeling very well, or that your mother dies. Little things like that dont count: the exam goes on. No one can give of his best when he is in mortal terror, or after sleepless night, yet this is precisely what the examination system expects him to do. The moment a child begins school, he enters a world of vicious competition where success and failure are clearly defined and measured. Can we wonder at the increasing number of drop-outs: young people who are written off as utter failures before they have even embarked on a career? Can we be surprised at the suicide rate among students?A good education should, among other things, train you to think for yourself. The examination system does anything but that. What has to be learnt is rigidly laid down by a syllabus, so the student is encouraged to memories. Examinations do not motivate a student to read widely, but to restrict his reading; they do not enable him to seek more and more knowledge, but induce cramming. They lower the standards of teaching, for they deprive the teacher of all freedom. Teachers themselves are often judged by examination results and instead of teaching their subjects, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques which they despise. The most successful candidates are not always the best educated; they are the best trained in the technique of working under duress.
The results on which so much depends are often nothing more than a subjective assessment by some anonymous examiners. Examiners are only human. They get tired and hungry; they make mistakes. Yet they have to mark stacks of hastily scrawled scripts in a limited amount of time. They work under the same sort of pressure as the candidates. And their word carries weight. After a judges decision on you have the right of appeal, but not after an examiners. There must surely be many simpler and more effective ways of assessing a persons true abilities. It is cynical to suggest that examinations are merely a profitable business for the institutions that run them? This is what it boils down to in the last analysis. The best comment on the system is this illiterate message recently scrawled on a wall: I were a teenage drop-out and now I are a teenage millionaire.
Notes:
second to none: 首屈一指的
mortal terror: 极度恐慌
carry weight: 重要,有影响力
上一篇: 专业英语四级精选阅读50篇7
国内英语资讯:Chinese political advisors propose measures for education, virtue in families
国际英语资讯:French ambassador returns to Rome after recall
体坛英语资讯:News Analysis: Why English clubs fancy German coaches
体坛英语资讯:Japan claim first win in Womens World Cup
地球更绿了!美国航天局:中国和印度贡献最大
国际英语资讯:Putin, Macron agree to continue coordination on Syrian peace process
国际英语资讯:IS militants kidnap 8 civilians in western Iraq
体坛英语资讯:Ligue 1: Monaco out of relegation zone, Balotelli carries Marseille forward
国际英语资讯:Norwegian Air to open new direct service from Chicago to Barcelona this summer
国际英语资讯:Saudi Arabia signs 20-bln-USD deals with Pakistan
体坛英语资讯:Djokovic, Halep, Serena all big 3rd round winners at the Australian Open
国内英语资讯:Top legislature holds joint inquiry meeting on SME development
体坛英语资讯:Norwegian Kristoff wins 1st stage in Tour of Oman
国内英语资讯:Water diversion project transfers 20 bln cubic meters of water, benefits 53 million people
国内英语资讯:Commentary: Upholding multilateralism, forces of justice to prevail
Will Luck Decide Success 运气是否决定成功
国内英语资讯:Chinese state councilor meets new SCO Secretary General
国际英语资讯:U.S. electric pickup maker Rivian gets 700 mln from Amazon, others
国内英语资讯:Global governance reform at core of Xis G20 summit speech, say experts
奥斯卡小众奖项被安排在广告时段颁发?好莱坞明星都怒了!
体坛英语资讯:Warriors star Cousins looks forward to return after long-time injury
霉霉近期频繁出入录音棚,可能要出新专辑
国际英语资讯:Bulgarian, Indian FMs discuss strengthening bilateral ties
体坛英语资讯:Chinas Ding beaten by OSullivan at Masters semifinals
国内英语资讯:China-Europe great example of cultural dialogue, engagement: senior Chinese official
国内英语资讯:Senior Chinese official calls for steady development of Sino-German ties
国内英语资讯:China speeds up developing risk management business in futures industry
网友总结了好莱坞的所有套路
国内英语资讯:China to innovate methods to improve teachers treatment
体坛英语资讯:China sweeps all three golds on first day of ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open