The Government wants essay questions removed from Japan’s university entrance exams.
Japan’s university entrance exam reconstructed
TOKYO – The Government has issued an order to remove Japanese and Math essay questions in Japan’s university entrance exams. The notice will be effective by January 2021.
According to Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda,
Potential for errors in assessing essay answers is inevitable. Private sectors tasked with checking the exams while always find difficulty in its subjective nature.
The current standardized entrance exam in Japan is in a multiple-choice format. Exam scores by graduating students will calibrate which university they will proceed into for college.
In a press conference, Haguida said,
We find it challenging to come up with an immediate alternative to lessen test-takers concern over the reliability of test exam results.
The essay questions will be optional
The Education minister acknowledges the importance of essay questions in assessing the logical thinking of students, which is why he still urges education institutions to conduct it in their entrance exams.
Hagiuda also received criticism on his TV interview last October. The minister mentioned that students competing for university admissions should be treated based on their financial capacities.
The remark earned ire from Japanese citizens.
As if he is saying that inequality in education is acceptable.
Reliability of test assessments
A private institution is checking Japan’s university entrance exam results with essay questions, namely, the Center for Research on Learning and Educational Assessments.
Essay questions in entrance exams help calibrate English writing and speaking skills aside from the reading and comprehension assessment from the multiple-choice items.
But the concern over high-cost and accessibility of the test may limit the exam availability to all students.
The Government paid the Center for Research on Learning and Educational Assessments for a contract worth 6.16 billion Yen ($56 million) that will last until 2024. The Center is under the company Benesse Corp. It is responsible for scoring the essay question part of Japan’s university entrance exams.
The minister has a growing concern about the Center’s plan of recruiting 10,000 graders, including student part-timers, to score Japan’s university entrance exams. Essay checking will last for 20 days.
Hagiuda’s concern is the company’s ability to provide a precise outcome if they hire graders on short notice especially after committing several errors in scoring during the trial exam conducted in November last year.
One notes that at this time last year, lower pass marks were set by a Japanese medical school in its entrance exam to accommodate men because women were believed to “mentally mature faster than men”.
Is there a downward trend in the quality of students where the entrance passing scores are lowered or the tests adjusted to suit more passers? Please give us your comments.
