A recent survey on academic pressure among junior-high students found that 44 percent sleep less than eight hours per day. More than half consider themselves to be in a state of moderate to severe fatigue, citing leaving the house early and returning late, frequent examinations and insufficient sleep as the main causes.
Based on the understanding I have gained from more than 30 years of experience working in junior high schools, the results of this survey more than likely reflect reality. This is because Taiwan’s elementary-level education emphasizes “happy learning,” causing many students to fall behind during the early stages of education. As a result, the heavy responsibility of helping them catch up once they enter junior high school falls on teachers.
In addition, the current high-school admissions system for junior-high students is far less diverse than the system by which high-school students apply to universities. The so-called “exam-free” admission system has, over the years, been reshaped by social pressures to the point of being severely compromised, making it even less fair when compared with the previous joint entrance examination. Yet, it demands that every child excel in every subject to have a chance of entering a so-called “elite” school. This not only fails to meet the needs of a pluralistic society that requires talent with diverse abilities across different fields, but completely contradicts them.
The questions on the Comprehensive Assessment Program for junior-high students clearly reflect the urban-rural disparities, and their level of difficulty surpasses that of the previous high school entrance examinations. Although the education system encourages students, stating that every trade has its master, those with unsatisfactory grades are unable to enter the schools or academic tracks they wish to pursue. This creates a tug-of-war between reality and ideals, and as a result, many students’ unique talents and potential are already stifled at the junior-high level.
If the examination system is unable to assess students’ diverse abilities, how can schools promote teaching models that cultivate those very abilities, thereby enabling every child to fully develop and realize their potential? Society needs a wide range of talents, and students possess different strengths. We should not expect nor require every student to master all five core subjects — Mandarin, English, mathematics, social studies and natural sciences. An admissions system structured in this way would only worsen existing pressure for teachers and students alike, leading to an even deeper state of fatigue among young students.
Chen Chi-nung is the principal of a junior high school in Nantou County.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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