"What are your views about standardized tests and the university admissions process?
I am not an expert on testing in schools. I am a believer
in self-study and benchmarking, from a variety of perspectives, ranging
from the needs of individual learners and those who support them
(including their families) to the institutions in and through which they
study. Sensible, nuanced understanding of how I (and we) are doing is a
vital element of any attempt to "manage the future" in personal or
institutional terms.
Meanwhile, around the world, qualifications for university entrance
vary in type and demand. We have established in the UK that where and
how such qualifications are earned can disguise both achievement and
potential. If this is not fully appreciated, a kind of brittle,
meritocratic discourse can hinder the role of higher education in
assisting social mobility and advancing social justice.
As a consequence, I have real concerns about the "moral panics" that
surround university admissions. In the UK we talk about "widening
participation" as if it is the same as so-called "fair access," and vice versa.
The two are logically separable phenomena. The first - getting more
students qualified and to the starting gate - is a big problem in both
developed and developing societies. The second - where they choose to
apply, and are admitted - is a comparatively tiny problem. Merging the
two can also lead to empirically weak and socially patronizing
conclusions. Well-qualified students with disadvantaged backgrounds who
choose non-standard routes through the system are often making rational
and life-enhancing decisions."
o resto da entrevista... aqui.
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