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