For
the most part Unified State Exams (USE)
in
this country
are extremely formalised discouraging
good
pupils,
smart
ones from
language learning.
Also
of note, ESL
language proficiency in Smolensk is significantly affected by
schlocky
bachelor
and master
courses.
These
are
some points that may be discussed later in greater detail.
1.
Here
in Russia, to
know how to fulfil all the requirements
of the assessment policy with the bureaux of the parent bodies is
of major importance.
It
seems to be more important than teaching itself.
Following
this
approach,
the
teacher should not correct
identical grammar errors.
But,
everything
must be done to ensure that
the address
in a letter, for
example,
should be written on the right
side because
this requirement was
once
spelled out in the guidance document.
2.
USE experts
recruited lack a common understanding of the ways of measuring the
pupils oral
answers.
It
is
not
allowed, for
example,
for a
pupil
to
describe
a given
photo by
saying
something
like “I
took this picture... / This
photo was taken by me...” because
such a
claim might
lead to a factual mistake. Instead
a decent pupil should have come up with something
neutral like
“ The photo in this picture shows ...etc”.
3.
Security
during the school USE is
heightened with metal detector searches, police presence, and ID
checks humiliating
both teachers and students as though they were thieves or
petty criminals.
On
a brighter note, the
Department of Education is examining ways to further reduce the time
taken to mark the examinations and to provide administrative support
for the examination process.
Okay,
ha ha, very funny! But, this is just a rough sketch.
