A writers’ union this week called on examination boards to stop endorsing GCSE and A-level textbooks, claiming that the “immoral†practice is damaging education. Philip Pullman, a former chair of the society, said he was concerned that teachers using such textbooks exclusively were simply “teaching to the testâ€Â. Read more.
Targeting textbooks at exams 'immoral'
June 2, 2006
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whatttty? 'teaching to the test' whatty?
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:sad:Wow, those books are a terrible idea.
Go Pullman!
Heck yes!!! I <i>passionately</i> support their cause!
Yeah, I'm the one currently suffering from this system, since I have an AS Biology Exam on Monday, but apparently, my opinion on education and the system is worthless because im only 17 right? Pfft, screw this, im off to play Chrono Trigger…
The problem is that exam results are based so heavily on exam technique over here rather than on actual knowledge, that without the knowledge of how to word our understanding of the topic one could fail an exam for applying a perfectly adequate response to the question without understanding its pragmatics i.e. what it is implying we say in order to get top marks.
I am insecure about my exam technique as I have to communicate my understanding to an examiner who doesn't know me, and one who may have been sat through 150 other AS papers and not have the patience for my scruffy handwriting or my wording that shows I understand the topic despite not wording at according to specification; basically, I don't think s/he's that bothered.
At the end of the day, I don't have faith in my examiners to risk my entire future on which grades will be so very vital by getting a general knowledge of the subject – I will try to enjoy the subject but at the end of it, if I do not get an A, B or whatever in x exam, I may not be able to get to university, get a decent job and make a financial success out of myself.
Yeah, I'm always scared that that they'd be too lazy to read my writing because of my sloppy handwriting. But I'm a god writer, I really am! Don't pass it by, please, scorers!
Actually I've found these books quite useful as summaries. I think it's actually the responsibility of each individual teacher to provide the necessary support to their course, and make it interesting. Obviously the problem arises when incompetent teachers use such textbooks as their only teaching material. But then education has never been perfect, has it?