The School of Life
by H. Grodsk
Another year, another disaster. I mentioned before how the answers to some mock school exams leaked last year, thus giving pupils ideal preparation for the vicissitudes of life. April 2009 rolls around and – yes – exam answers leaked. I don’t know which subject(s), which paper(s), which precise exams (“gymnazjalne”, I think) and also, in a desperate attempt to limit/extend (I can’t tell which) the damage, all sorts of rumours and counter-rumours are swirling around but the details don’t really matter. The pupils have learned the most important lesson of all: don’t trust adults, particularly not those involved in educating you.
It’s a lesson their teachers should take to heart as well. The following is based on hearsay, so treat with caution: a school teacher friend of mine did a special course in marking the new “gimnazjalne” exams but sometime after he took the course (but before the exams were set) the higher-ups decided to put back the introduction of the new exams two years. For the time being they will take the form of multiple-choice questions, which a computer, or even a department of education specialist can do. It’s not a story I would be interested in following but if I were I would bet that in two years my teacher friend will be required to re-do the special training course.
Tags: education, exams, incompetence
April 29th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Needless to say - and no doubt this will be at her or his personal, non-refundable expense. As to the leak of test sheets - it was rather admirable how swiftly this case got investigated by the ISA and the prosecutors. There was something in the news in November about the mail sorting system the ISA got the Postal Service to install, which allegedly scans and analyses all envelopes, while sorting them. The report prompted the Ombudsman and the Supreme Auditing Chamber to launch investigations, so perhaps this all really does teach the youth that adults cannot be trusted - as they do not seem to trust themselves (or - each other). But then there’s always more swine-related news these days to keep pondering over education, trust or youth too deeply.