Scrap the CCTs

How many major exams does the average Rafflesian sit for throughout his 4 years in secondary school? What, you say, how many? And you try your best to count them , but strangely enough, you realise, neighbourhood school students sit for more exams than us. On that note, I strongly disagree with the choice to scrap CCTs.

I feel that the inclusion of CCTs in school academics is important as not only is it the benchmark to assess how ell a student is performing, but it also ensures that the students of the school are prepared for exams and other such tests. As with the current system, there is a dearth of exams, excluding CCTs, with only the end-of-year exams (EOYs) on our calendars.

Firstly, RI uses an unorthodox system for the calculation of the GPA and for examinations. The continuous assessment (CA) accounts for 60% of the marks, and the EOYs make up the remaining 40%. This startling statistic illustrates the emphasis that our school places on continuous learning andassessment to chart the progress and personal growth of each and every student. The CCTs make up a large part of the this CA component, and play an extremely important role in ensuring that the students are indeed learning, and doing well academically. This would allow teachers to pick out and help along weaker students, or those who need additional help, early on, instead of after the papers are returned and the marks released and ensure that theyare well-prepared for the examinations.

Secondly, as stated above, RI uses an unorthodoox education and/or grading system, and tere are no other exams in the year, apart from the EOYs. Now, if this is the case, then how do the teachers ensure the students are adequately prepared for the examintions? How often have you reakised that you are sittig for a paper the next day, but your file is in disarray and you have been procrastinating. More often than not, you end up burning the midnight oil and staying up late to revise and sitting for your paper while sleep-deprived and insufficiently prepared. One way to avoid such a scenario is to file and revise your work regularly, but we all need that extra push, that inspiration, the motivation that is required for us to take the initiative and study in our spare time (what spare time?). What provides that is actually the CCTs! Sure you will curse and swear, and do everything you wuld have done if the EOY was the next day, procrastinate, burn the midnight oil, and perchance, score well, or poorly. But as they say, you should ni this problem in the bud and rid yourself of the trouble that will encumber you when that time of year comes around again.

Therefore, CCTs are important as they provide a gauge for you to measure up against others and your expectations, academically and also help you prepare for further exams, keeping you on your toes.