Every Finnish high school student knows that the matriculation examinations are the most important exams of our young lives. They are one of the sole reasons why high school students study at all; for the chance of getting good grades in the exams to be able to have a higher chance of getting into future education, for example university. So to make it clear, matriculation examinations are the primary and preferred way by universities to select students. After all, they have a limited amount of available spaces for new students, so they need some type of way to rank them. So, why get rid of it?
The Finnish minister of science and culture, Petri Honkonen stated that: “[The matriculation examinations] are an old relic and an impractical system”. The exams put a huge amount of stress on the students, which may cause studying to feel more like a burden than an actually helpful and meaningful ability. Without the exams students could choose more subjects that they’d like to study, instead of opting out for those that earn the most points. This furthermore strengthens the idea with students that learning isn’t very fun, and is only meant to forward a career path. Students would be more motivated to study if they could at least choose subjects that they’re interested in. On top of that, looking at course scores, instead of a matriculation examination, gives universities a better idea of the student. It would show larger progress over the years, instead of the performance of a single day.
Of course I’m highly biased, since my own matriculation examinations didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, but I still truly feel that a broader, more appropriate student evaluation process is in dire need. It’s simply not fair to judge students and their capabilities in such a small and – at the end of the day – insignificant scope. Countless students have many skills and capabilities, but only a fraction of them are truly able to express those skills and capabilities, since most of them don’t even know how to start!
I think that a completely new kind of an education system is in order. One where students and teachers work together to try and find something that truly inspires them to work, study and most important of all, express themselves and their skills. Most of us deprive ourselves of enjoyment when we work jobs we don’t like, and do things we’re not passionate about. And that is not what life should be, an endless, soulless drag through wasted potential and time. And it’s definitely something that should not be taught in schools. So let’s change it.
Source: https://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000009100559.html
Text: Walter Wahlroos