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Monday, December 11, 2006

Leading Article: It’s good to pass exams but it’s good to learn, too


In the article, “Leading article: It’s good to pass exams but it’s good to learn, too,” from Lexis Nexis website, the author claims that today the education system is bad for students. First, the author gives others opinions about why students get good A-level exam grades. Some say it is because students hardly study and others say exams are easier. Second, the author disagrees with both sides. He says students succeed because teacher helped them too much. He also says a lot of universities and companies make a big thing of exam results. That is why teachers try to give students good A-level grades. As a result, some students cannot understand how to solve problems although they can get excellent scores. I agree with the author about educational reform because this situation that many students get good results of tests has several disadvantages.
First, exam results are not everything for students. For example, my friend had a neighbor who won first prize in national trial examination. Although he was very smart, he often killed bats or cats and dissected them at home. The boy that was crazy had no friends. If a company employs him by his exam score, he could not contribute the company because he is lacking in sociability.
Next, academic background-oriented society like this educational system puts great pressure on students. In Japan, the government aims for less strenuous school education; however, the examination ordeal still continues. If students can enter high-leveled universities do it, the school can get benefit. This results made the school popular because it has a good reputation. So teachers try to make students do it. Teachers teach students not how to learn but how to pass the exams. Besides, many students go to cram school to pass a entrance examinations these days. It costs much money per child. For that reason, Japanese have just one or two children. The education system led to decline of birth rate, thus children have to bear the expectation of parents.
As a result, intelligence does not mean good character or flexibility. It dose not always have positive meanings. Students can not learn what they want under this educational system because their teachers and parents were brainwashed by this thought that to pass exams is the most important. According to my opinions, Ministry of Education should not persist in making much of only exam results.


Leading Article: It’s good to pass exams but it’s good to learn, too. (2006, August 13). The Observer (England). Retrieved November 1, 2006, from LexisNexis

Classification essay

Which is the best type of education style for you?


All people have the right to receive an equal education. It means everybody is able to take opportunity to learn same things. But it also means that poor students spend as much as smart students. So students who can not understand a class need take a supplementary lesson after school. There are three mainly ways to learn more; tutors, cram schools, and distant learnings.
First, tutors are a way to help students. Tutors are people who teach students on a one-to-one basis. Tutors come to students’ house regularly. Tutors can focus on the problem what student need learn. Students can ask a question that he or she can not understand without constraint of a whole class. Tutoring can cost more than 200 dollars per month to receive tutoring but students can talk about school life or some adolescent worries with tutors individually; because, students and tutors have a lot of chances to talk each other. They can get familiar. Therefore, tutors take a role as a counselor.
Second, many students go to cram school. A teacher teaches more than two students. Students come to cram school at regular days. The pupils both take a class for a review or a preparation. Teachers have know-how about an examination for a senior high school or a university. Monthly tuition costs about 100 dollars. Supplementary private school arouses rivalry of students because most students study to get higher scores or grades than other students. In addition, students inspire each other to greater efforts. If there is a student who does not like to study, he might start going to cram school with his friend.
Finally, some students learn by home learning. Students receive teaching materials by mail from educational company or study by using a computer. It is a kind of self-education. Students are able to study when it is convenient for them. It takes more or less 50 dollars. The fruit of it depends on students’ autonomy. Students can ask a question on the Internet or by mail. It does not matter where a student study or when. However, if a student is lazy, there is no point in doing correspondence.
In conclusion, each way to improve achievement have good points. Tutors can help students thoroughly. Students can be stimulated to greater efforts in a cram school. Some students study by hiimself or herself. There are various students in a classroom, earnest students, humorists, and lazy students. Now the competition of educational institutions intensifies because many parents try to bring up children preciously. The number of parents who have only one child is increasing. Therefore, parents spend much money on their child. It is important for students to analyze each options to find the one best suits them.