If you take the view that school is about preparing people for life after school, then we here at St John Paul II College, acknowledge and commit ourselves to the process of making this view a reality.
For many, education can be summed up by the following quote ‘Education is what is left after you have forgotten everything you learned at school’ (Albert Einstein).
If education is seen as one long continuum, holistic and life-long, then justifiably, there needs to be a progression associated with it. The life of a student is complex. Students are pulled in all directions.
For rationalists, it is difficult to embrace the rate of change of society, particularly when things have always worked out in the past, or so we have been told. After all examinations may only reveal what knowledge a student is able to display on a particular day – usually after considerable revision. They don’t assess all the skills, habits and attitudes they need for success in their life. Habits like curiosity and persistence to overcome problems, and skills like being able to learn effectively and being able to analyse problems logically and create practical solutions, need to be acknowledged.
In essence retention of knowledge can be seen as traditional schooling – the development of learning and problem solving skills and a love of learning is education in the JPC model.
Our Year 10 students (and some Year 9 students) have undertaken examinations for the first time in preparation for the years to come. In the ACT, senior school students (Years 11-12) sit formal examinations as part of a continuous assessment structure. For our students to succeed at the senior level, they need to be placed in an environment where they experience formal exams. The saying ‘you play as you train’ is quite relevant.
By having students sit exams, JPC is also preparing them for life (reality) outside of school. For example, to obtain a license to drive a car, an examination must be successfully completed. The pressure has to be overcome. Schools are a safe and supportive environment in which to make a mistake, to rebound and try again.
Andrew Ganderton