Albert Einstein once said, “School failed me and I failed the school. It bored me. The teachers behaved like Feldwebel (sergeants). I wanted to learn what I wanted to know, but they wanted me to learn for the exams. What I hated most was the competitive system there, and especially sports. Because of this, I wasn’t worth anything, and several times they suggested I leave. This was a Catholic School in Munich. I felt my thirst for knowledge was being strangled by my teachers; grades were their only measurement. How can a teacher understand youth with such a system? I began to suspect authority and distrust teachers from the age of twelve.”
Even though Einstein failed the school, he ended up as the world’s best physicist. He taught himself all by himself.
Examination does not show if someone has truly acquired certain knowledge. The microscopic and responsive nature of examining does not reflect how we use intelligence and knowledge in the real world—examinations test memory more than analysis, creativity, or real understanding.
No examination is a true indicator of a student’s true ability because a student can cheat in exams. Moreover, brilliant students sometimes score lower marks due to the pressure on them and they become demotivated by their results.
Examinations aren’t effective because of students who sometimes do rote memorization and cramming. It also isn’t effective because exams do not encourage knowledge application. Another problem in the system is that grades are the goal. If a student gets low grades in an exam, he is generalized, as a dull person can’t truly be intelligent.
Examinations in general do not help students to broaden their understanding of the real world.
Written By: Ms. Ifeoluwa Elizabeth Odeniran (Year 8 Student)
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