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From primary school to the end of their tertiary education, students face the
daunting task of preparing for examinations every single year. So much time and
emotion is poured into preparing for examinations.
Advocates of the system contend that annual examinations are a good way of
training children for the stress of life after school - where deadlines and sales
quotas need to be met, and work completed methodically and with minimum
fuss.
Yet, are examinations an accurate yardstick? A person's true abilities may not be
shown by written examinations. Take Winston Churchill, for example. He was a
school dropout and yet he became one of England's greatest statesmen, a
national savior in World War II. Clearly, some talents and forms of ingenuity go
undetected in examinations.
What about the "swots"? Well, speaking as one, I confess that I often wonder
whether it is worth it. We rush from one tuition class to another and we spend
most of our time studying for tests and examinations, or doing our homework. All
through the school semester, we only have one thought in mind: to excel in the
examinations. Is this really living?
A related point is that some students are so occupied with their studies that they
do not develop their potential in other fields. It is true that there are many clubs
and societies in the school. However, many students just do not have the time to
make full use of these extracurricular activities. They have to study, study, study.
So, our emphasis on examinations is indirectly producing people who are only
trained to study and reproduce facts rather than well-rounded individuals.