Education and Exams

By Ina Woolcott

It is becoming more and more apparent that education at school is more about the exam results and mass test passing than recognising the individuals talents, abilities and areas they excel in. Education should encompass more than that - the ability to think for oneself, to investigate and observe, to understand and to be able to cope in the real world and all the people in it, to solve problems, use ones imagination, investigate, to improvise and to create. Really education is not about passing tests, it's about becoming wise and knowledgeable - the things that really matter and are important to the individual. School's program kids to all be the same, like a herd of cattle. They are generally suppressed and forced to learn with a reward and punishment system.

Contrary to common belief SATs are not actually necessary to a child's education. They are not mandatory. All they are supposed to do is check the level of teaching and if the child is reaching it. It is more for the school board satisfaction that teachers are doing their 'job'. all it does is stress most kids out. By being tested and stressed children don't actually learn anything! Parents actually have the right to withdraw their children from taking these exams.

Being home educated works in the students favour, they are taught a wide and diverse range of activities in a loving 1 on 1 (or more if teaching more than 1 child) environment. It is up to the child whether they want to study for an exam, go onto higher education, go to work with the skills they have learned. Places of higher education are fast recognising the potential of home educated children and so many of them go on to getting degrees even without the 'standard' exam passes, such as GCSEs. There is also the internet where you can do on line degrees or even Open University where you study at home, college, evening classes and other routes.