The national baccalaureate is not just a different examination system, it honors high school education, and makes it easier for young people who wish to, but also possess the necessary qualifications, to continue their studies at a higher education institution.
In an article from this column, I had mentioned the harsh and long ordeal of candidates and their families every year with the national exams. I was pleased to read that a cross-party consensus was reached on the PASOK proposal to start a dialogue on the national baccalaureate and the access system to universities. A rare consensus in the annals of the Greek Parliament, and applause is necessary!
The national baccalaureate is not just a different examination system, it honors high school education, and makes it easier for young people who wish to, but also possess the necessary qualifications, to continue their studies at a higher education institution.
I remember that in 1964, when I was about to take my exams, George Papandreou had instituted a transparent General Examination process that did not require the long-term tuition fees that we have today and that enabled even the most economically disadvantaged students to achieve their goals. At that time, society was grateful to the government for its initiative in favor of education.
Today, after 61 years, society has changed and with it the requirements for proper education. High school should not be replaced by tutoring, but should regain its educational autonomy. Moreover, a discussion is necessary on the modernization of curricula, as well as on the evaluation of students.
Which young person today does not know that regardless of the financial situation of his parents, he will have to attend a tutoring center throughout the entire duration of high school, in order to undergo torturous exams whose only positive aspect is the "unchangeable"? And thus, he is not at all interested in his performance in high school, which he simply attends, while at the same time, with the current system, he does not face equal opportunities with his fellow candidates. The purpose of general education, which high school should serve, is being trivialized, and the examination system does not reward the performance of students over three years, nor does it substantially weigh in on access to universities, while luck plays an important role in success. The candidate is judged by a single opportunity, his score, that is, in the National Examinations, and only once in the same year. Moreover, the three-year work of the teacher in the school is being devalued.
Proposals have already been prepared by experts for changing the examination system, which can be discussed and a decision to change can finally be made. Professor Georgios Babiniotis, who has studied the system in depth for years, writes articles and insists on the long-awaited change and has submitted, among other things, the following important proposal: The National Examinations should be conducted by a valid educational body, the National Examinations Organization, which has already been established. This organization will be able to organize retake exams, thus giving candidates the opportunity to improve their grade in a subject where they have not succeeded. In the midst of the whirlwind of political scandals, the mind is calmed by the hope that the government will want to take advantage of the opportunity to finally offer relief to the Greek family in its six full years of power.
source THE STEP
photo by stevepb, https://pixabay.com
