A-level practical exams
The British government and its examination watchdog, the QCA (Qualifications and Examinations Authority), recently approved the draft syllabuses for the new A-levels. The 'post-16' reforms, as these have been termed, see the introduction of more stretch and challenge in assessment and learning with the aim of pushing the brightest pupils to 'think outside the box', a new grade the A* to record performance above that of the A-grade and a reduction in the number of assessment units in most subjects (except the sciences and mathematics) from 6 to 4.
While these 'new' A-levels seem academically superior to the current crop, the largest UK examining body in Bangladesh, Edexcel International, has changed its mode of assessment in the sciences (Physics and Chemistry), so that instead of practical examinations, candidates from international centres can only appear for written alternatives. While Edexcel standards are a global brand, the removal of direct practical assessment will mean that most English medium students are going to be deprived of direct laboratory experience.
To highlight my case, all O-level science syllabuses emphasise practical experience but hardly any school in Dhaka offers direct practical classes to its students because there is no 'laboratory based examination' in the assessment of Edexcel O-levels. Furthermore most students are even deprived of demonstrations and must rely on rote learning of the laboratory details from books without actually having a hands-on experience. Another A-level subject, Biology, has a written alternative to the Individual Biological Investigation which UK candidates do. The Edexcel Specification clearly states that candidates must have the relevant fieldwork and laboratory experience in simple ecological and biochemistry experiments but once again probably not a single school in Dhaka, caters for such mandatory practical experience. Rather, most teachers provide just theoretical discussions and students rely on memorizing marking schemes of past years' question papers to fulfil the requirement.
Practical assessment is an essential part of the teaching of science. It's my sincere hope that the relevant authorities will seriously consider the case I have made.
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