[etni] the bigger picture
- From: "Native English Speaker Teachers" <nativeenglishspeakers@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 12:18:32 +0300
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Some of you may think that the problem of the Bagrut this year is just one
of grades, and that it is enough for students to be able to redo the test
this year, or next, in order to receive a fair grade.
We think otherwise. We feel that there is a MUCH bigger picture.
We must differentiate between two separate issues here:
1) the implementation of the new modular Bagrut
2) the new Bagrut exam this year
What happened with the Bagrut test this year has nothing to do with whether
the implementation of the new modular Bagrut will be successful or not in
the long run. This still remains to be seen.
However, what does appear clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that this
year's new modular Bagrut exam for grade 11 students was a disaster. The
results that we have received so far (we will be posting updated results
soon, from over 20 schools) show that there is an average discrepancy of
about 20 marks between the magen grades and the actual Bagrut results.
Unless we believe that these teachers - most of whom have long experience
in working with native speaker classes, and who have usually never had much
more than a 5 point discrepancy between their magen grades and Bagrut
results - have only now collectively revealed what really bad teachers they
are, the results from previous years being the actual sham - OR... the test
results this year are the real sham.
We feel that only one conclusion can be reached. The test this year was
badly thought out, badly written, and badly executed. Furthermore, once the
people high up realized this point, instead of working to alleviate the
situation, they circled their wagons and even refused to work according to
guidelines of prior Bagruts (allowing for more than one answer when a
question was ambiguous).
The total arrogance of the Ministry in totally disregarding the teacher's
feedback on this issue and treating us without an ounce of respect, shows
once again that the Ministry feels that teachers have no place in the
decision making process. We are expected to be seen, but not heard. We are
expected to roll over and play dead any time a real problem occurs.
You must realize that if you believe that students can retake the test and
that is that ... then the next time something like this happens - and it
could happen at any time - you must roll over and play dead once again.
Furthermore, most likely, in the attempt to cover their own tracks - the
Ministry will decide that offence is the best defence and will begin to send
notes to the schools this coming September censuring them and their teachers
for the large discrepancy between the magen grades and the Bagrut results -
effectively placing the blame on the teachers. By then, it will be too late
to convince anyone otherwise. We might as well start applying for an early
pension.
From fellow concerned teachers
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