My School is relaxing today, students are on two day study leave because their exam is beginning this Monday. The school football ground is hosting a grand khuru tournament with about 30 participating teams. My teacher colleagues are wrapping up paperworks for the winter. I can see just me alone sweating in the November cold. I am trying out computer practical exam in class nine for the first time and there couldn't be a better day than today. But I didn't know I would hate exam more after the test this morning.
There are two reasons that gave me this feeling which is bothering me through. The first batch of fifteen students finished their two hour test and I uploaded their work on the network before I prepare the computers for the next batch. I needed each one of them to stand with me while I verify their work. Half way through I sensed a boy has left the exam hall. With the next batch still outside there's possibility of him leaking the paper to them, so I rushed out after him to find him doing what I feared; we was showing them the paper. Thank god, the test is about practical skill and not something that could be mugged up from the textbook, otherwise the next batch had the privilege of having the question paper before entering the hall. I regreted it though but I couldn't help slapping the boy! I know it's not his fault all together, there is mine too but the biggest fault lies in the very idea of examination!
The first batch finished with a slap and second began with an attempt-cheating. But my heart melted when I saw one of my student being carried into exam hall by two of her friends. She actually had a normal cough and cold that went on paralyzing her lower half. Her feet were not responding to her but she came to do her exam. I offered her to do her exam next time but she refused to give up. Her mother came in when she was half way through the test. I just let the mother take her daughter to a doctor. I have to make another set of question just for her when she gets well, and it's okay for me. If I tested her today I would be testing her ability to withstand her disease and not my subject. And I hate exams because generally exams overlook this humane considerations, while ironically we say we are educating them!
For kids who do not understand the rationale of exam - i.e. to test how well they learnt - understanding the concepts and mastery of skills, they attempt to cheat. It ended up cheating themselves as it's not reflective of their own ability. Sad? Well, this is common anywhere, any part of the globe. I still remember while in NIE Paro, I have to resort to setting 3 different sets of theory papers for the FIT module. Similarly for the Practical papers - as a preventive measure. You may wonder why I didn't trust the teachers-to-be? Well, it's human nature "to help" (and that's particular strongly surfaced in my encounters with these teachers-to-be).
ReplyDeleteReally, I didn't know whether I should be angry or happy. Angry, because I trusted them to uphold integrity and understand the rationale of test/exam, and it was just an assumption. Happy because of the spirit to land a helping hand to one another is still practised! (Despite the fact that it should be competitive)!
KY
As to conduct the practical exam, can consider the following:
ReplyDelete1. Get one teacher to help manage the group of students who are under quarantinee (in a separate room) so that even if any of the students in the 1st group leaves, he/she will not get the chance to meet up with those hwo have yet sit for the exam.
2. Possible to get students to save in the network? BTW, do students login using a unique login ID or password? If it's, perhaps can consider getting them to save their work on the desk top. When the 2nd batch of students login, the file(s) under the previous user would not be displayed.