2023-11-30 17:34:00
More and more schools are deciding to give up on organizing an exam session at Christmas in favor of other assessment methods.
“We do not have exact statistics on the subject but we note that all schools no longer organize sessions at Christmas. Furthermore, schools which give up organizing exams do not generally go back,” observes Arnaud. Michel, spokesperson for the Catholic network.
In official schools, the observation is even more obvious. “Today, 70% of our establishments no longer organize exams at Christmas. This is the case of our establishments in Walloon Brabant, in Huy-Waremme, Liège, Verviers, Namur and in Hainaut Centre,” indicates Géraldine Kamps, spokesperson for Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement.
“In general, Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement supports the reflection of establishments and zones leading to the absence of tests in December, with the establishment of a continuous evaluation system, without this being binding” , she continues.
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A change that Kevin, father of two teenagers, sees rather favorably. “I think it’s a good thing not to add more to the students’ shoulders at the moment. Between the weather, illnesses, fatigue, etc., this is not the time to burden the students with a training session. ‘exams,’ he says.
The father is quite favorable to the idea of continuous evaluation. “I am not categorically keen on the organization of exams. I think we can definitely imagine other ways of evaluating students.”
An opinion that Laurent, father of two teenagers, does not share. “Schools always put forward good educational reasons for waiving exams but personally, I find it dramatic. I’m afraid that my children will not be at all prepared for what awaits them at university. In my time , we had exams at Christmas, Easter and June. For me, taking exams is very educational. Learning to make sustained efforts over a limited period of time is important to prepare yourself for the world of work. When you are an adult, you “has to face deadlines and stress, it’s important to be able to prepare for them at school,” he believes.
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“Some parents are asking for points at Christmas. At UFAPEC (French-speaking Union of Catholic Education Parent Associations), we believe that these are things that should be able to be discussed in the participation council. Some Parents have the impression that without points, they do not know how to support their children properly. Having a report card reassures them. However, it is not because there is no report card that the teaching is less good. The requirement is no less if there are no exams,” adds Bernard Hubien, president of UFAPEC.
Furthermore, the internal procedures of the schools do not exempt them from participating in the external tests which are the CEB, the CE1D and the CESS.
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