One semester after the implementation of a major educational reform, a magazine survey released yesterday showed that 70 percent of teachers and parents would like the government reinstate the Joint College Entrance Examination (JCEE).
The 48-year-old JCEE was replaced last July by the Diversified College Enrollment Scheme.
This survey, conducted by the Global Views Monthly between Dec. 3 and Jan. 3, polled 2,245 seventh-grade students at 70 schools nationwide, as well as 238 parents and 111 teachers.
Asked to teach a more diversified curriculum aimed at preparing students to enter high schools or universities, teachers were having trouble keeping up with the times. Ninety percent of the teachers surveyed admitted that they are having problems teaching the new material.
Students also seemed exasperated when faced with the new program. Nearly 60 percent of teachers reported that students have difficulties adapting to the de-standardized textbooks.
Sixty-three percent of the parents surveyed agreed with the statement: "The more I try to understand the educational reform, the more confused I get."
Although the new system is well-intentioned, students complained that the reforms failed to alleviate academic pressure, even though their fate no longer hinges solely on the JCEE. Fifty-four percent of seventh-grade respondents said that they have to go to cram schools.
Forty-six percent of the students surveyed who do not go to cram schools do not go because they can not afford the classes.
A seemingly contradictory result suggested that teachers support the reform. Seventy percent of teachers and parents who responded were in favor of restoring the JCEE. Nevertheless, 80 percent of teachers and 70 percent of parents replied that they still support the Ministry of Education's reform efforts.
The contradiction suggested that respondents had placed their hopes that the reform would make things better for soon-to-be graduates, but are unsatisfied with and worried about the mix-ups that have resulted during policy implementation.
Teachers said the major reason they have had difficulties in teaching the new materials were related to educational policy flip-flops, that have left them confused.
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