The Problem with Standardised Testing is that there are so few Standardised Children

Sir Ken Robinson famously drew world-wide attention to the issue of standardised testing and schooling in his oft-viewed 2010 TedTalk ‘Changing Educational Paradigms’, in which he likened schooling to an industrial machine which mass-produces ‘educated’ children based on their “date of manufacture,” as though that is the defining factor in being academically successful.

Even the notion of academic success is problematic – as though the ability to write an essay or complete a calculus problem is the definition of a successful human being, capable of contributing meaningfully to society and capable of living a happy and fulfilling life. We all know that this is not true. I mean, I can honestly say I’ve never had to use logarithms in my daily life, or algebra. I’ve also never had to decipher an article on fiscal policy or Monet, despite my engagement with economics and art subjects in high school.

By no means am I trying to imply that these subjects are useless – far from it, in fact. I enjoyed them, I learned things – what more could I ask for?

I do believe, however, that Sir Ken Robinson made a very insightful judgment about the Western world’s educational system. He is right – it IS problematic. We don’t all learn the same way, or at the same pace and we don’t all have the same interests. This diversity is what makes our society function; this diversity is what makes art and culture and beauty and all things wonderful. It’s what makes each of us unique and interesting.

The question, then, is this: does our current school system cater to this individuality, this creative potential and curious mindset?

I think we all know the answer. Schooling in the Western world really hasn’t changed much in… decades. School for our children today might look different in terms of classrooms, technologies, subjects, but in terms of educational practice, the foundations are the same.

Students are expected to move through a standardised, factory-model of schooling, where the goal is for each child in a cohort to meet pre-determined outcomes at the same pace and in the same way. Assessments are usually the same for each student or are crafted with some adjustments – for the child to attempt to meet the same outcomes. Children, and adults, for that matter, aren’t all the same. We all have different skills, different talents, different interests. Children develop along their own paths and meet milestones at different times and in different ways. There needs to be greater recognition of this within our school systems if we want our children to succeed on their own terms and achieve their full potential as unique little people.

So, what educational model should we transition to?

There’s not really a concrete answer. Eastern Asian nations outperform Western nations fairly consistently on international assessment rankings – though of course, this hasn’t escaped the problems inherent in standardised testing. But the rote-learning kind of model is limiting in many ways and isn’t necessarily a healthy way to pursue education and learning.

Another model that is often lauded in the media is that of Finland, with its focus on wholistic education and learning for life – much like the Montessori ideals we examined in our last blog post. Finland pursues no standardised testing. Instead, teachers and students can focus on learning, rather than meeting superficial testing outcomes. In line with this, teachers, students, and schools are not compared in terms of performance. The environment is one of equality and cooperation – everyone lifts everyone else. To enable students to attain their fullest potential, teaching is often kept consistent across several years. This way, the teachers can know the students and bond with them, enabling them to successfully educate them by understanding their individuality.

Finland’s model focuses on equality, the overall health of the child, and their individual nature. In this way, despite the total lack of homework or outside work, Finnish students are slowly beginning to outperform even the Eastern Asian nations, where test scores are a top priority.

It’s an interesting alternative, isn’t it? One where students and teachers are viewed as people and are trusted to be able to succeed in their own ways and time.