Tuesday, June 19, 2007
19 June 2007
An envelope arrived at the door today. With my daughter's exam results.
I didn't dare open it, she didn't dare open it, it got left in the hallway till late afternoon.
Then she opened it.
She'd passed.
One down, four or five more to go.
One of the saddest things about our education system is that the one thing that seems most important - your results - is actually the least important thing of all.
Or at least when it comes to real learning.
I think of my grandfather being made to recall facts, under presure, for his competitive Indian Civil Service exam.
The system hasn't changed that much.
And it seems to occur to nobody to think about how it all began; and whether, in fact, a system designed to select administrators for the British colonial empire really makes a lot of sense now.
An envelope arrived at the door today. With my daughter's exam results.
I didn't dare open it, she didn't dare open it, it got left in the hallway till late afternoon.
Then she opened it.
She'd passed.
One down, four or five more to go.
One of the saddest things about our education system is that the one thing that seems most important - your results - is actually the least important thing of all.
Or at least when it comes to real learning.
I think of my grandfather being made to recall facts, under presure, for his competitive Indian Civil Service exam.
The system hasn't changed that much.
And it seems to occur to nobody to think about how it all began; and whether, in fact, a system designed to select administrators for the British colonial empire really makes a lot of sense now.
Labels: Exams
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