Probably, there is not a single person who does not know what the Unified State Exam (USE) is. Let's try to figure out whether the state exam is as bad as people think.
Will it save or destroy?
In recent years, changes have been taking place in all spheres of life in our country. The field of education has not gone unnoticed. One of the significant innovations was the introduction of the Unified State Exam (USE).
In 2001, the USE was introduced experimentally in several regions of Russia. And apparently, it pleased the government so much that they decided to keep it. Now it is a mandatory form of assessment; without its results, one cannot obtain a diploma or enroll in a university. It is not hard to guess from the numerous spiteful comments that most of the country is, to put it mildly, not thrilled with this innovation.
But what is bad about this exam? The answer to this question is: "There are as many opinions as there are people." And indeed, all kinds of stones are thrown at the USE: that children are no longer taught, but only "coached," that the number of suicides has increased because of the exam, etc., etc. As for "coaching," it's simple. That's how it is with us: what matters is not quality, but results. It is not hard to guess that if children do not reach the bar set "from above," then all the blame falls on the teacher: didn't teach enough, didn't explain correctly, didn't pull them up. So they have to shelve the curriculum and "coach" children for tests. And the problem is not in the teachers themselves or even in the USE, but rather in our society, and whether you like it or not, you have to adapt.
In fact, the USE, as it was conceived, is a very good way to take exams. Firstly, you don't have to fear biased assessment; secondly, with its results you can enroll in any university in the country; thirdly, it is automated. In an age of rapidly developing information technology, we want schools to keep up with progress. Testing knowledge with a computer is a good test of knowledge. There is no "stretching" or bias – how much you learned, that's what you get.
Last week, the president proposed taking the USE on computers. If this is implemented, it will be a big leap forward for schools. Moreover, it is much more familiar for children, because now almost everyone has a computer and the Internet, and taking the exam in this way will make the child feel more confident and calm. Plus, there is no need to wait long for results, because the computer will show the number of points scored immediately after the exam.
Of course, any innovations do not go perfectly, without errors. Moreover, there will always be opponents and supporters. But in general, the USE is not so bad; this model just needs to be refined and improved.
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