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ISSUE 6
A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college
The author asserts that students should study national curriculum before entering college. Since the definition of curriculum is not clear, so in order to analyze this statement I have divided the word “curriculum” into: learning standards, standardized tests and required textbooks. In my opinion, a nation should set learning standards and create standardized tests, but there should not be any restriction on which textbooks to use in class.
It is definitely necessary for a nation to set learning standards and give standardized test for primary and middle school students. Learning standard is general outline of what students should master in class, for example fifth graders should master the multiplication of double digit, and tenth graders should master the process of cell regeneration. Standardized test is a way to determine how well students are doing in class. Learning standards and standardized tests have many advantages. Learning standards can insure a well-rounded education for students; standardized test is a fair way to evaluate students and helps to determine if the student is already for college.National learning standard insures that students would receive a well-rounded education. Most students have favorite subjects and least favorite subjects. If you let them choose on their own they will drop their least favorite ones and focus only on subjects that interest them the most. However, basic education is not all about interests. UK’s educational law requires all students under age 14 must study English, science and math, history, geography, art music, foreign language and physical education. In addition, Standardized test is a fair way to evaluate students and helps to determine if the student is already for college. UK’s educational law requires an identical national test for every schoolchild at ages 7, 11 and 14 to see how well the child is doing in class. In US, standardized tests such as SAT and ACT are fair ways to determine whether a student is already for college.
National curriculum should contain learning standards and standardized tests, but it should never restrict which textbook to use in class. A national mandatory textbook is harmful because it ignores the differences of regions and is prone to government indoctrination. National mandatory textbook is a one-size-fit-all endeavor which ignores the difference of regions. Take my personal experience for example, I was born and raised in an ethnic minority region in South West China, we have our own dialect which is different from the national standard pronunciation. In class, we were required to study mandatory textbooks which are annotated in PINGYIN based on national standard pronunciation. So this creates a dilemma for young students, should they adapt to the standard pronunciation or should they speak the dialect like their parents and grandparents? A decade after the enforcement of mandatory textbook, young children in my hometown no longer knows how to speak in their mother tongue, it is sad to say that our original dialect is becoming extinct due to mandatory textbooks. What’s more, mandatory textbooks make it easy for government to indoctrinate the impressionable young. Recently, prompt by mainland China, HONG KONG government tries to add national education course to all primary and secondary schools. The text book is a one-sided and totally positive portrayal of communist party; it makes no mention of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, Cultural Revolution and other political movement that leads to deaths of millions of people.
In conclusion, I think it is necessary to set learning standard and standardized tests for the cause of a well-rounded education and fair evaluation. However, it is a bad idea to restrict the textbooks, since it will ignore the differences of regions and, worse of all, leads to government indoctrination.
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发表于 2012-8-12 21:20:20
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