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I grew up in the UK in a school where the emphasis of our entire education was "the test." Teachers entirely forgot how to teach a subject and our whole time wa

I grew up in the UK in a school where the emphasis of our entire education was "the test." Teachers entirely forgot how to teach a subject and our whole time was taken up with what essentially amounted to "test prep." I did pass their tests, but did I get a good education? Frankly, no, I don't think I did. I mean statistically I got a great education, but it seems we have forgotten why we even educate to begin with... Do we educate so people look smart on some random league table? Or do we educate so people are actually more well rounded, have a better grasp of the world around them, and do better as adults?

crusso 14y ago
Or do we educate so people are actually more well rounded, have a better grasp of the world around them, and do better as adults? I think we're all for this type of metric. The problem is that no one has yet been able to show a teacher's ability to achieve that. So you're against testing. What metrics are you for? Do we at least agree that without any sort of metric to judge a good teacher vs a bad teacher that the whole educational system suffers tremendously?
- UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
  I don't have the answers. I'm not even against testing. I've just seen the kind of damage overemphasis on testing can do to education and want to see it end. When tests become a core part of how you judge someone's worth as an educator that educator is going to put all of their efforts into better test scores. The question is do test scores mirror the quality of education or do test scores just tell you someone's potential at performing well on a test?
  - crusso 14y ago
    Well jeeeeeez! RTFA? Testing is just one part of a three-pronged approach that the foundation is recommending. The other prongs involve classroom evaluations and student feedback.

2 ms·

I grew up in the UK in a school where the emphasis of our entire education was "the test." Teachers entirely forgot how to teach a subject and our whole time wa

by UnoriginalGuy 14y ago

crusso 14y ago
Or do we educate so people are actually more well rounded, have a better grasp of the world around them, and do better as adults? I think we're all for this type of metric. The problem is that no one has yet been able to show a teacher's ability to achieve that. So you're against testing. What metrics are you for? Do we at least agree that without any sort of metric to judge a good teacher vs a bad teacher that the whole educational system suffers tremendously?
- UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
  I don't have the answers. I'm not even against testing. I've just seen the kind of damage overemphasis on testing can do to education and want to see it end. When tests become a core part of how you judge someone's worth as an educator that educator is going to put all of their efforts into better test scores. The question is do test scores mirror the quality of education or do test scores just tell you someone's potential at performing well on a test?
  - crusso 14y ago
    Well jeeeeeez! RTFA? Testing is just one part of a three-pronged approach that the foundation is recommending. The other prongs involve classroom evaluations and student feedback.