The new exam system

It is widely expected to train high school students more efficiently for higher education programmes, writes educationist Abdullah Al Shaiba.

Since mid-September last year, debates have been going on about the new exam system which was for implemented by the Ministry of Education (MoE). The main reason of designing the new system could be implied from a statement issued by the Minister of Education confirming that "90 per cent of the high school graduates who experienced the old system were unqualified for higher education programmes and the higher education institutions had to spend a lot of money to prepare those students for the new courses".

The minister said that with the new system, he hopes the students will be well-prepared for higher education programmes.

However, it must be mentioned that the 'new' exam system is part of a comprehensive development strategy which will be conducted gradually in order to improve educational conditions in all areas.

Don't be negative

If some educators continue to look at the new exam system from a negative angle, the system could easily be destroyed and we will be back to square one.

From a personal perspective, I can assure you that the new system sets up new rules which will significantly contribute to the development of education and its outcomes.

I still remember the strong and persistent criticism of the old exam system in the 1980s by almost every educator and official not only in the UAE but all over the Arab world. They viewed the old system as a major hindrance that wasn't helping students to think scientifically, to be creative and to become effective members of society in general and the labour market in particular.

They even claimed that the old exam system was one of the major reasons forcing millions of young Arabs to migrate to the West
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In my view, the new exam system is the most appropriate policy adopted by the MoE in the last few years. It is well-designed and comprehensive, and will play a major role in bridging the gap between general education and higher education outcomes.

Although the new system has been implemented for grade 12 students, it is clear that the students targeted by the new system are not the current ones, but those between 7 and 15 years who will reach secondary school equipped with the necessary means and skills to meet the requirements of the new system.

Therefore, I would urge those who regard the system from a negative point of view to read carefully the details of it, to think strategically and to help the MoE to implement it.


THE GOOD AND THE BAD

The bright side

- The Ministry of Education describes the new system as a ‘positive' step towards equipping the student with special skills, required to fix the gap between general education and higher education. This will be done through a practical assessment process including both written and practical exams throughout the academic year.

- Some local officials view the new system as better than the old system in terms of the process of continuous assessment. They also expect a decrease in private tutors; medium-level students can get more grades during the academic year.

- Some schools' principals link the success of the new system to the effective implementation tools by the MoE which must clarify all aspects of the system to avoid any misunderstanding.

- Through the new system and as a part of the decentralisation strategy, the MoE lends maximum confidence to the education zones.

- The new system focuses on measuring the performance of the students; their participation in the classrooms and their commitment to academic attendance. Besides that, the new system has precisely identified the responsibilities of the teacher, student and parents.

- The new system enforces scientific thinking among students, encouraging them to remember, to understand and to be able to take decisions. The old system depended on memorisation.

- It gives parents the opportunity to track their child's performance.

Negative Points:

- Many practitioners criticise the timing of the system's implementation. They feel the education sector is not yet ready.

- The new system might lead to an increase in private tutors.

- The consecutive modifications of the new exam system have caused tension among many grade 12 students who lack sufficient knowledge of the requirements of the system.

- The late implementation of the new system, in mid-September, made many teachers drop parts of the curriculum and concentrate on the assessments required by the MoE.

- Many schools libraries are not equipped with the reference books needed by the students to prepare the scientific reports, research assignments and projects.

- One of the major comments on the new system is that it is totally different from what was discussed between the ministry and educational zones before the beginning of the academic year. Many local officials believe there wasn't enough time to discuss the new system.

- Another disadvantage, cited by some educators, is the lack of experience among many teachers in supervising scientific research; it would be inappropriate to ask them to review and assess the research assignments of students. Therefore, some officials have demanded that the assessment tool of "doing research" be called off.

- According to many students, the new system has given teachers full control over the students through the various assessments tools. This will produce 'unhealthy' relations between both sides.