Simply prepare students for examinations?

by Alex Tsui

Ever since its first establishment, school has come a long way from being mere generators of academics. Naturally, it has gone through a great deal of changes. Being one of the most important places in which a person will spend his youth, a school's impact upon an individual's upbringing is undeniable, and so too upon the outlook. That said, it is inevitable that the meaning of such an institute, and thus its purposes and functions, must not be mistaken.

Of course, schools must not be defeated of their original purpose of providing quality education to their students. Examinations, the most widely recognized method of assessing a student's academic ability, must be given attention to. Therefore it is only natural to see that extensive emphasis has been put on the tackling of such exam-oriented areas. However, the fact that examination cannot assess a person all-roundly simply cannot be denied. This is where school comes into play. Aside from equipping its students with loads of skills for tackling such ordeals, more emphasis should be put on the actual material, the content. Schools should be aiming at enhancing the true knowledge of their students, ensuring that the students understand instead of rote memorizing all the facts for exams. Schools should be willing and able to testify that their students, though may not know as much as required by exams, will be able to carry on their knowledge throughout their lives without ever thinking that their knowledge was acquired for a mere two-hour assessment. Simply put, schools must teach students that they are not just studying for a pass", or a simple remark on their report cards. They are studying for understanding.

As said, school also plays a profoundly important role in the development of the character, personality, and outlook of an individual. The modern approach to education has put forth to us the notion of esteemed and spiritually mature students. A grand outlook can only be achieved through exposure to human cultures. Schools serve as the perfect place for students to gain such experiences. In fact, schools can encourage such spiritual development by means of extra-curricular activities, competitions, projects, and workshops for organizational and leadership training. Only through such activities can their students truly benefit and become the contributors of the future society. Only though such activities can students speak in perfect aplomb that they have actually led a life of spiritual well-being and repaid the society its fair share for providing them with what they had at youth. Only then, will students not become phlegmatic hermits that fail to notice the true meaning and purposes of life - to give as well as to receive.

It is therefore without doubt that a balance among examination, quality of education, and education of the spirit must be achieved to ensure that true all-roundness is developed. Only then will humanity continue to flourish in its definite forms through the many fields of development that await us. Obviously, schools must put in more effort than just preparing students for such parochial and short-sighted achievements as exams. This fact is, simply, unquestionable.