Cancelling of SSAT results sounds alarm

A teacher answers questions from students preparing to take the SSAT, the Secondary School Admission Test, in Hong Kong. [Photo/China Daily]

The upper level Secondary School Admission Test results for a total of 357 students, who took the tests in Beijing and Shanghai on Sept 19, were canceled by the SSAT Board who claimed there is reasonable basis to question the validity of the test scores. Comments:

In an exam-oriented education environment, many in the education system have blindly pursued high exam scores, instead of realizing the true value of exams and knowledge. While feeling shocked at the cancellation, those involved perhaps should take a second thought about how to return fairness and real meaning to similar tests and moreover, cultivate a healthier education environment.

Rednet.cn, Oct 22

Long overloaded with too much work, Chinese students have been pretty good at exams, and this ability has been further enhanced with the emergence of training institutions that help students develop test-taking skills. Such training is done through intense simulation tests and predicting possible questions by summarizing those in previous tests. Whether such a phenomenon is reasonable is worth more discussion.

Beijing Times, Oct 22

The cancellation, instead of prejudice against Chinese students, is an alarm for domestic schools, training organizations and candidates warning that the commonly practiced skills they have been using may not be applicable any more. Under such circumstances, what such organizations need to do is to genuinely improve students' learning competence. At the same time, students and their parents should come to realize what matters most is to finish the study and acquire solid knowledge.

Beijing Youth Daily, Oct 22