Media hype over maximum scores on the annual General Scholastic Ability Test (學測), which determines entrance to the nation’s universities, is corroding society’s ability to raise a younger generation that are aware of morals and ethics and should not be the only factor in measuring how successful an educational establishment is, National Taiwan University (NTU) associate professor Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙承) said.
The test is given considerable weight, comparable to the SAT reasoning tests of the US.
However, achieving maximum scores on the test offers no advantages other than bragging rights for students and schools, Yeh said.
The annual media bombardment of which school has how many students with maximum scores in the test and which universities they wish to attend does not actually mean that a particular school is a “good” one, or that its education is “successful,” Yeh said.
The results of this year’s General Scholastic Ability Test were released on Thursday last week.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Yeh said the media’s rampant reportage of students who achieved high scores is essentially saying that it is wonderful for a student to apply for an A-rated university after achieving good scores, adding that if these students behave badly, it is the fault of the university for not “teaching them how to conduct themselves properly.”
“Every individual’s preferred university is equally precious, and there is no need to fuss over the departments or schools of other individuals who performed well on the test,” Yeh said.
Society has become accustomed to such reports and encourages children to strive for prestige, and it would take more than university professors to instill students with good conduct, he added.
The post was “liked” by more than 7,500 people within a day and has started an Internet debate over the subject.
Some talked about their personal history and receiving less attention because they scored 1 point less in comprehensive scores, while others asked Yen not to push too hard because students who have achieved maximum scores and received media exposure might have only this moment.
Other netizens commented that while students should be commended for extraordinary academic performances, the media should perhaps look into other areas as well and not only include academic scores for comparison.
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