The Model

Newspaper

The Day

External Tests or University Exams?

All eleventh-graders who wanted to participate in the first trial testing did it on March 13.

They all expect that they will enter higher educational establishments based on test results. But the recent statements of Volodymyr Semynozhenko, thenewly-appointed vice prime minister for cultural issues, raises doubts about it. He said that already this year secondary education certificates will be considered while entering higher educational establishments and that, in addition to tests, high-school graduates will take exams again. In other words, tests are good, but exams are in force, too.

According to the data of the Ukrainian Education Quality Assessment Center, almost everything is ready for this year's entrance campaign — over 300,000 people are registered to take part in it (70 percent of the total population of high-school graduates); the tests have been printed; higher educational establishments have worked out the rules for the admission of high-school graduates; and tests dates have been set. Changing anything in this well-organized scheme is not only purposeless, but also unprofessional, experts suggest. If entrance exams are introduced in higher educational establishments, there is a question: Will they have enough time to get ready for them? In addition, what is the, point of the external independent testing if each university is to return to traditional exams? Another dilemma is this: Will students have enough time to prepare for the exams in the remaining two months until the end of the academic year? Thus the work of educators done in recent years is brought to nothing. Moreover, the opinion of 80 percent of parents and students who, according to sociological research, support the independent testing is ignored.

№17, Tuesday, 23March 2010 By Natalia Romashova

The article under the title “ External Tests or University Exams?” is taken from the newspaper “The Day” in its issue of the 23^rd of March 2010.The article gives full coverage to the burning problem of implementation of external independent assessment (EIA) into the system of education in Ukraine.

In the opening lines the author informs of the recent statements of newly-appointed vice prime minister for cultural issues Volodymyr Semynozhenko and states that on March 13 all the willing eleventh-graders participated in the first experimental testing and all of them are expected to enter university on the basis of test results. The reporter puts emphasis on the proposal of vice premier that while entering the university, the results of certificates about general secondary education will be taken into account and besides tests, school leavers will have to take exams.

The article stresses on the existence of dilemma – schoolchildren will have no time to prepare for exams because there are nearly 2 months left till the academic year, therefore several years work of people in the sphere of education is set at naught.

The message of the article is the facts of Ukrainian Education Quality Assessment Center that everything has been already ready for this year entrance campaign. There are all the pros and cons of the EIA stated in the article.

The article is interesting and to the point as far as the facts given in the article add much to what I have already known about External Independent Assessment. Needless to say that as every aspect in our life EIA has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand it is impossible to assess the knowledge of university entrants only by tests but certificates on general secondary education should also be taken into account and on the other hand it alleviates the school-leavers life as far as they have only to prepare for tests and do not trouble about the scores in the transcript of a certificate. Of course the problem stands if they have time to do it.

To my mind, the problem of implementation of EIA will be settled sooner or later and I feel very strongly that entrance campaign will be fair and transparent.

Lexical minimum for English practical course

comfortable adj

1. making you feel physically relaxed: a comfortable chair, room, bed, house: comfortable shoes

2. feeling physically relaxed: I'm sure you'll be very comfortable there.

3. comforting - making you feel less worried, unhappy or upset: comfortable words

4. having enough money to buy all the things you need or want, without having to worry about how much they cost: comfortable life/ retirement/ existence

Ant. uncomfortable

to make oneself comfortable - to make oneself feel physically relaxed: Sit down and make yourself comfortable.

comfort n

1. someone or sth that helps feel calmer, happier or more hopeful after you have been worried or unhappy: The news brought comfort to all of us. He was a great comfort to his parents.

2. a feeling of being physically relaxed and satisfied: to be fond of comfort, to live in comfort

Ant. discomfort

comfort v, t- to cause to feel less worried, unhappy or upset: Within hours of the news. Helen

arrived to comfort her heartbroken friend.

Note: convenient adj means suitable, handy, serving to avoid trouble or difficulty convenient time, method, toot, place, etc. Will this bus be convenient to/for you? Let's arrange a convenient time and place for the conference

Ant. inconvenient

convenience n

1.the quality of being convenient or suitable: at your earliest convenience, for convenience

2. (pi) useful or helpful devices: The house has all modern conveniences (central heating, hot water supply, gas)

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