The results of this year's first Basic Competence Test for Junior High School were published recently. The media reacted by reporting which districts' students performed the best, and lauding those students for their diligence.
Although educational reforms have resulted in the scrapping of the joint entrance examination in favor of a diversified school entrance system, Taiwan's 310,000 junior high school graduates still have to face the comprehensive examination that remains part of the diversified entrance system.
When the results of such exams are released, the media always focus on those who earned top scores. The media, however,have never focused on the students who performed poorly and what they will do after graduation.
A look at the statistics for this year's first Basic Competence Test for Junior High School, shows that only 16,413 students were in the 95th percentile -- 258 points of a total 300 -- and above. In the 30th percentile -- 101 points and lower -- there were 94,312 students.
The overall situation of this large group of students begs closer scrutiny by educators and the Ministry of Education. The media should focus on this segment of the student population as well, to ensure that they do not just fall by the wayside.
Last year, a junior high school student at a top Taipei school committed suicide after getting poor marks on a test. Such an extreme reaction shows that some students have a low Emotional Quotient (EQ), and lack the maturity to deal with setbacks and failures constructively.
Other students are simply the victims of flawed educational policies that allow certain students to enter a university to keep the university afloat. A recent math and English skills test administered to college freshmen, for example, revealed that even students in higher learning institutions often do not perform at acceptable levels. The answer to the question What is 1/3 + 3/4? was judged to be 4/7 by some and some translated the Chinese for "What time is it?" (現在幾點) to "What is watch?" in English.
To address low EQ levels in students who otherwise perform well in school, or low IQ levels in students who are emotionally sharp, education at the junior high school level should be scrutinized.
With regard to raising students' EQ, policymakers should take advantage of Taiwan's shrinking population and the abundance of teachers to create smaller classes and drastically reduce teacher-student ratios. This will make possible enhanced interaction between students and teachers. Additionally, the educational system should place greater emphasis on the holistic development of students; scores and marks should not decide everything. A basic skills test for junior high school students should also be devised; if students do not make a certain cut-off score, they should not be allowed to graduate from junior high school.
It should be the school's responsibility to prepare students to the point that they are able to pass the examination. Allowing a student who lacks certain basic skills and knowledge to graduate is akin to giving up on the student, and that is not acceptable.
Of course, those students who earned 300 points in the latest junior high school test should receive some media coverage, but we should be more concerned about the students who have fallen behind.
We should also try to understand why they have fallen behind, and what needs to be done to impart to them a proper junior high school education.
Additionally, we need to teach our students proper ethics and provide them with thorough EQ training. Otherwise, even if they are skilled enough to become doctors at National Taiwan University Hospital, without a proper EQ education, they are unlikely to be able to withstand the pressures and temptations that go with the job, and may commit errors that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Chang Ruay-shiung is the dean of academic affairs at National Dong Hwa University.
Translated by Max Hirsch
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