In Malta, exams are seen as the key to our educational system and personal success. The removal of mid-year exams in the coming months is being considered a crucial change for the better.
However, this will not necessarily lead to the desired outcomes since annual exams will be retained. So long as annual exams will remain a significant component of the way we assess students, the necessity to train and prepare students to face exams will remain. This may mean that the removal of mid-year exams is not necessarily beneficial.
The main problem lies in the way exams are viewed. That mindset is not likely to change and exams will still be considered as the primary measure of success. Despite the introduction of continuous formative assessment, which gives a more holistic and realistic view of academic progress, the exam mark is still viewed as the most crucial component of the assessment process.
Both students and their parents aspire for the highest scores possible in exams. This is despite the fact that continuous assessment gives a valid indication of progress and, in the vast number of cases, renders a mark close to that obtained during the examination.
The mindset with which parents approach exams is usually present also in students and may be encouraged by teachers and educators. It is an attitude which goes against the idea of learning as a formative experience. For these changes to reap the desired outcomes there needs to be a change in both the mindset and in the academic material which is often taught by rote.
By retaining the annual exams, I see little hope in a change of mentality, even though the Learning Outcome Frameworks may offer a more open and realistic method of teaching which goes beyond preparing students for their dreaded exams.
I oppose the indiscriminate removal of fees because I believethat this proposal lacks responsibility and vision
Examinations are a method of assessment, which has been used since at least 1850 in the UK. Although the approach changed and developed to suit contemporary realities, exams are still viewed negatively since some papers do not help students showcase what they’ve learnt.
There are, however, some positive skills which can be obtained through assessment by examination. They include mental stimulation through continuous revision, stress-management skills and time allocation tools. These positives are often ignored by those who would like to abolish exams entirely regardless of the fact that academic progress needs to be quantified through assessment.
Even in our approach to exams, our mentality may need to be challenged and changed when we fail to look beyond the negatives.
This argument leads me to another point which may not be well received by many parents. Although the removal of fees for SEC examinations is positive in itself, it may be underpinned by a negative mindset which will fail to lead to the much-desired positive results in the long term. While more candidates are likely to apply to sit for their SEC exams, the results obtained by the students are unlikely to improve.
I oppose the indiscriminate removal of fees because I believe that this proposal lacks responsibility and vision. Instead, I believe that fees should only be refunded to those who manage to obtain between grade 1 and grade 7 at SEC level – in other words, a pass mark. In addition, those who obtain between grade 1 and 5 should be incentivised further by being given a form of financial token.
Such a proposal would not only lead to a financial reward but would also have the added benefit of incentivising students to get the necessary qualifications to be eligible to further their studies at Sixth Form level or in other institutions such as Mcast and ITS.
If one looks at the 2017 statistics, 34.2 per cent of students (born in 2001) who obtained between grades 1 and 5 in nine subjects or more, would not only benefit from a refund of their fees but would be given an additional financial token for their academic achievements. This can also be extended to the other 6.5 per cent of students who obtained a pass up to grade 7.
Without such incentives, the statistics will get worse. As from next year, we are likely to see an increase in the number of students who sit for their exams since these are now free of charge.
However, in addition to this, we are also likely to see an increase in the number of students who fail to get a pass mark at grade 6 and 7 – let alone at the higher grades which allow students to further their studies in higher education.
In this respect, we will still lag behind our European counterparts when it comes to students who further their studies beyond the age of compulsory schooling.
Our education system suffers from some pitfalls which may be attributed to a misplaced mindset. This misplaced mindset is now institutionalised for the sake of a “new approach” which is unlikely to yield any tangible results. Indeed, the chances are that it will confirm everything that I have outlined in this piece.
Justin Schembri is a Nationalist Party candidate.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece