ID :
24394
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 15:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/24394
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Education ministry orders 2nd round of tests amid growing boycott
SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- The government ordered a second round of standardized tests for primary and secondary school students on Tuesday despite growing protests from teachers and pupils alike who fear the test will be used to rate schools.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology revived the nationwide
scholastic achievement test after dropping it 10 years ago. The move is part of
President Lee Myung-bak's market-oriented education reform drive, which is aimed
at enhancing achievement through competition.
Critics say the test will do more harm than good. A petition submitted to the
National Human Rights Commission by parents and teacher unions said it will
"force immense competition and excessive scholastic activities upon students and
will deprive them of the basic human right to happiness and quality of life."
Some students, teachers and parents went on field trips to avoid the test, while
others planned class boycotts.
"To make it clear that we oppose the standardized test, we will be going on field
trips as we have done before," said Jeong Gyeong-hee, director of the Parents'
Association for Equal Education, one of the organizations that sponsored the
petition. Scores of students and parents will take part in a one-day trip to a
botanical garden north of Seoul, she said.
An Internet community of teenage students called "Say No" said about 100 of its
members have expressed their intention to boycott classes.
The education ministry said there is a global trend toward adopting standardized
testing, and that it is used in advanced countries like the United States,
Britain and Japan as an effective way of documenting student achievement. Without
a precise assessment method, it said, the government will be unable to devise
measures to increase students' scholastic ability and narrow the growing
socioeconomic education gap.
Sixth-grade elementary school students along with those in 9th and 10th grade are
scheduled to take the multiple choice test on Korean, science and society on
Tuesday and on mathematics and English on Wednesday.
The first round of testing was conducted last week for third-grade elementary
school students.
The ministry plans to disclose the test results by region, showing how many meet
the grade-level standard. The data will be broken down to individual schools
starting in 2010. The scores and ranks of individual students and schools will
not be made public, however, due to concerns over the forming of an educational
hierarchy, the ministry said.
Since Lee took office in February, his educational reform drive has been a source
of constant friction with liberal blocs. The latest ministry decision to open two
international middle schools in Seoul next year was welcomed by some parents, but
prompted widespread criticism that it will further drive up private education
spending and polarize public education.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology revived the nationwide
scholastic achievement test after dropping it 10 years ago. The move is part of
President Lee Myung-bak's market-oriented education reform drive, which is aimed
at enhancing achievement through competition.
Critics say the test will do more harm than good. A petition submitted to the
National Human Rights Commission by parents and teacher unions said it will
"force immense competition and excessive scholastic activities upon students and
will deprive them of the basic human right to happiness and quality of life."
Some students, teachers and parents went on field trips to avoid the test, while
others planned class boycotts.
"To make it clear that we oppose the standardized test, we will be going on field
trips as we have done before," said Jeong Gyeong-hee, director of the Parents'
Association for Equal Education, one of the organizations that sponsored the
petition. Scores of students and parents will take part in a one-day trip to a
botanical garden north of Seoul, she said.
An Internet community of teenage students called "Say No" said about 100 of its
members have expressed their intention to boycott classes.
The education ministry said there is a global trend toward adopting standardized
testing, and that it is used in advanced countries like the United States,
Britain and Japan as an effective way of documenting student achievement. Without
a precise assessment method, it said, the government will be unable to devise
measures to increase students' scholastic ability and narrow the growing
socioeconomic education gap.
Sixth-grade elementary school students along with those in 9th and 10th grade are
scheduled to take the multiple choice test on Korean, science and society on
Tuesday and on mathematics and English on Wednesday.
The first round of testing was conducted last week for third-grade elementary
school students.
The ministry plans to disclose the test results by region, showing how many meet
the grade-level standard. The data will be broken down to individual schools
starting in 2010. The scores and ranks of individual students and schools will
not be made public, however, due to concerns over the forming of an educational
hierarchy, the ministry said.
Since Lee took office in February, his educational reform drive has been a source
of constant friction with liberal blocs. The latest ministry decision to open two
international middle schools in Seoul next year was welcomed by some parents, but
prompted widespread criticism that it will further drive up private education
spending and polarize public education.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
