Abolishing the National Mathematics Test would be a mistake: the head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment explained why
5 July 19:04
YOUTUBE
The idea of eliminating the mandatory math section from the National Multisubject Test (NMT) could negatively impact the quality of school education in Ukraine. If the subject is no longer required for university admission, a significant portion of students will simply stop paying enough attention to it. This was stated by Tetyana Vakulenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to her, there has recently been active public debate about the advisability of mandatory math testing, but abandoning it could have long-term consequences for the education system.
“As soon as we stop requiring math for college admissions, children will stop studying it. This is a natural reaction. If a subject isn’t required for admission, the motivation to master it decreases significantly,” Vakulenko noted.
She emphasized that mathematics is a core competency necessary regardless of one’s future profession. That is precisely why its assessment must remain a mandatory component of the admissions process.
At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) noted that the debate over the subjects included in the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) continues every year; however, any changes must take into account not only the wishes of individual applicants but also the impact on the secondary education system as a whole.
According to Vakulenko, the practice of external testing shows that subjects which become optional for admission gradually lose their significance for students, which affects the level of their knowledge.
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