DUBAI - The Ministry of Education has amended the assessment and examination system for secondary schools following the national curriculum shifting its emphasis from overall assessment to grades in examinations, in an attempt to raise the standards of students.
Schools say it is “unfair” to judge a student’s performance based on a two-hour examination. An official report, prepared by academic experts and advisers at the MoE recommending a ten per cent decrease in assessment grades and a ten per cent increase in examination grades, is expected to be implemented from the next academic year.
Assessment grades, based on year-long projects, research and extracurricular activities, will be reduced from 50 per cent to 40 per cent while examination paper grades will be raised from 50 per cent to 60 per cent.
The report has stressed the need for enhancing the examination and assessment system in secondary schools so that students could gain more skills and raise their standards, according to a ministry release. The report also mentions that the new assessment and examination techniques would encourage students to gain more knowledge.
Experts have also sought to give importance to re-amending the assessment and examination grades for the benefit of the students. The new system will allow students to get used to international examination standards and gain more experiences and skills in university life.
“I think it is unfair to assess a child’s performance based on a two-hour examination. This is not a good move. We never know the psychological state of a child during an examination. The child could be unwell or disturbed during an exam. We have noticed that some students have a phobia for written exams, but they do really well in oral tests,” said Deeb Abdullah, principal of Dar Al Marefa School in Dubai. He added that the new assessment could work well with students of Grade XI and XII, but may not have the same effect on students from the lower grades.
“There should be more emphasis on projects, assignments, charity activities that children engage in through the course of the year,” he added.
Mustafa Ahmed Al Moosa, director of Al Ma’arifa International School, Sharjah, said these decisions should be based on scientific research. “We will take up the issue with the ministry,” he added.
Preeti Kannan