When I was driving home today, I listened to the phone-in radio program.\u00a0 It was talking about the provincial government is planning to introduce standardized test to grade 4 and grade 7 school children.\u00a0 The teacher union oppose this idea, saying that will increase their work load and more test will give pressure to the children which is not good for their development.\u00a0 They worry that in order to get good grades, the children have to work on drills for the test instead of learning real stuff.\u00a0 Some audience phoned in supporting the teachers and say practicing for exam is a waste of time.\u00a0 I think that audience is either out of school for too long or he is fairly uneducated, otherwise whom would believe the BS of the teacher.\u00a0 I understand the teachers may be overworked by the new tests, which it is fair to request more resource to cope with the extra teaching requirements.\u00a0 However, please don’t trash talk the new tests system just because you want to have less work.\u00a0 Exam techniques is one of the most valuable skill I have learned in school.\u00a0 You may have studied very hard and learned all the stuff in the textbooks, but you don’t do well in the exam, who knows you knows the syllabus well?\u00a0 Exam techniques helps you to boost your grade and make yourself more representable.\u00a0 In fact, you are tested not only when you\u00a0 apply for university, you will be tested if you want to enter grad school, become a professional, or get any kind of license or certificate.\u00a0 Therefore, learning exam technique in early age is a good investment that will pay back handsomely in one’s lifetime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"