Written by Rilke Arguelles
The majority of Philippine colleges deciding to admit students solely on the merit of their previous grades due to the pandemic further enforces the reliance of local colleges on academic grades over potential when choosing among their applicants, and stresses the need for an alternative method of measuring students’ aptitude.
Pre-COVID, since the sciences and mathematics have been present in most college entrance exams (CETs), there has always been an advantage to students studying in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Senior High School Track as they would be more familiar with the examination topics over those who took an Arts or Humanities and Social Sciences track. While taking supplementary classes or attending review centers could help, that is a privilege some students can’t afford as they are busy with extracurriculars or part-time jobs to help support their families.
Under this new admittance system that only takes academic grades into consideration, it can be said that the scrapping of the examinations deemed unfair makes for a more just setup. However, this completely removes any opportunity for students to prove their aptitude beyond their academic grade.
At the same time, it’s impossible to disregard grades altogether as colleges still need a means to evaluate prospective applicants. Some schools require a short essay in the application in addition to grades, but for other schools with a limited capacity in their admission system, it would be impossible to fairly assess the thousands of essays and applicants.
Teachers often say that while grades might not be a measure of intelligence, it could quantify a student’s dedication to their study. If this is the case, it would mean the education system had not been made for the intention of students learning in the first place. The fact that there is no standard grading system among schools also proves that grades should not be the lone factor for admission, as what might be passing in one might be outstanding in another.
On the other hand, the International Baccalaureate based in Switzerland has developed a diploma program (IBDP), a secondary school grading system to solve this problem, wherein the students’ diploma is graded by internal and external assessments, meaning it takes its score from class performance and a standard examination that all IBDP students take across over 140 countries.
Unlike the SATs that purely measure examination results, the IBDP is holistic in nature. Points are awarded from classes that the students themselves chose (from six subject groups, allowing students to focus on their favorite subjects), an essay that is required for finishing the diploma, and community service, if applicable.
In fact, the IBDP is accepted in the applications for colleges both in the Philippines and abroad, much like the SATs, and some local high schools are IB accredited. Since the K-12 program has been implemented with concern for globalization anyways, it’s a shame that a comprehensive and considerate system such as this had not been implemented.
Of course, any decisions concerning the process of admissions should still be made by colleges, given that the students they accept will be a part of their institution. Still, better methods of evaluating students are available, and if it is already implemented within the very schools being applied to, then it should be all the more reason to adopt these policies.
Secondary high school is supposed to equip students with the readiness and certainty the latter need for their future. With how high-paying jobs only hire those with qualifications only a college education can provide, students have limited options on what they can pursue besides a college degree, and so the secondary school grading system should make it easier for colleges to choose suitable applicants. This way, grades could be a more accurate measure of the learning one has accumulated.
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