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Czech Republic graduation adjustments should focus on ensuring the quality of examinations

May 25, 2022

Original Article: https://denikn.cz/minuta/800552/

The original article requires translation.

The association stated this in its statement sent to ČTK by its chairman Josef Soukal. According to him, possible changes in school-leaving examinations would be appropriate only after the completion of adjustments to the framework educational programs, according to which schools create their curricula.

In its program statement, the government promised, among other things, the preparation of changes in graduations. The Minister of Education Petr Gazdík (STAN) said that he would like to find an agreement on such an arrangement that the exams do not have to change again in the coming years. He wants to base the discussion on the proposal of the think-tank of Charles University Education 21, according to which two types of exam certificates could be created. In addition to the regular school-leaving examination, secondary school students could obtain a profession that would be sufficient for the performance of a profession, but not for university studies.

According to the Association of Czechs, however, the proposed amendments would not solve the current problems of graduation. "They would only lead to a further artificial increase in the number of graduates and a reduction in the requirements for part of high school graduates, they would also complicate the legal and organizational side of the study," said Soukal.

According to him, the discussion about changing the exam will only make sense if it does not avoid the problems of Czech education. The association considers one of them to be the fact that the expansion of the educational offer after 1989 led to an increase in the number of graduates without study prerequisites and adequate education. The association reminded that its level should be guaranteed by the school-leaving examination. But no one in the schools determined it uniformly. With the exception of didactic tests prepared by Cermat, which falls under the Ministry of Education, according to Czechs, the comparability and objectivity of the exam evaluation is not ensured.

"In this state, it doesn't matter if we officially set one or two graduations or graduation levels - in fact, we will continue to have thousands of these levels. And above all, we cannot reach relevant conclusions about the education of high school students, "said Soukal. According to him, it is therefore surprising that a way is being sought to reduce the role of the central test. The Association of Czechs is ready to take part in "any serious activities leading to the graduation reaching a form in which it will actually perform the functions it can and does," he said.

"We consider it unwise to consider that the change in school-leaving examinations should precede the innovation of key educational documents - framework educational programs for grammar schools and other secondary schools," Soukal added. According to him, the preparation of changes in the curricula is still in the initial phase. In its program, the government announced that it would improve the quality of teaching in primary and secondary schools by completing revisions to the framework educational programs by the end of 2023. He does not specify the government's statement until he wants to change his high school diploma. (CTK)

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