Polish community grades the results of the pilot standard exam

They want to do something good but based on wrong assumptions 

The representatives of the Polish community unwillingly received the results of the pilot exam publicized by the Ministry of Education and Science. According to Józef Kwiatkowski, the results are not credible because the school selection process was biased. Narkiewicz and Błaszkiewicz are against the subjective exam evaluation methods. 

“The exam results proved that there were objective differences between people for whom Lithuanian was a native language and people for whom it was a learned language.” said Jarosław Narkiewicz, a member of the AWPL and the parliamentary Committee of Education.

According to Adam Błaszkiewcz, a director of the John Paul II Lower-Secondary School, the presented results cannot be discussed by the society because they are an element of the Ministry’s spectacle. “They show us how many good things they’ve done. However, we strongly believe that they want to do something good but based on wrong assumptions.” Błaszkiewcz said ironically.

It was a political decision 

Józef Kwiatkowski, a chairman of the Association of Polish Teachers in Lithuania “Macierz Szkolna”, claims that the presented general results do not show the full picture. “It’s hard to comment on something when we don’t have all exam papers. Only one page has been presented so far. The ministry wants to show the results in the best light. Because they want to introduce some changes.” said Józef Kwiatkowski. The chairman added that they would say something more concrete after the analysis of students’ exams.

Kwiatkowski is convinced that the school selection process was biased and the amendment to the Law on Education was a political decision. “The other matter is what we compare it to. Lithuanian schools participating in the pilot exam were mainly regional schools. No prestigious Lithuanian school – neither from Vilnius nor Kaunas – participated in the exam. Although, only the best Polish schools were selected.” Kwiatkowski informed PL DELFI.

In Kwiatkowski’s opinion, the Ministry reached a dead end forcefully trying to introduce nonsensical changes and now they are not able to retreat form their own ideas. “They started to build the house beginning with the roof, not foundations.” claimed Józef Kwiatkowski.

No changes in the AWPL’s line 

Jarosław Narkiewicz, a member of the AWPL and the parliamentary Committee of Education, told PL DELFI that the results proved a considerable difference between Lithuanian and national minorities schools. “On the one hand, it’s good that the Ministry publicized the results. Actually it’s only one positive decision. But on the other hand, they’re only general results, concrete exam papers are the most important.” said Narkiewicz.

The AWPL have not changed its line on the possibility of the cancellation of the current amendments to the Law on Education. The members of the party registered their own amendments to the Law. “The Parliament approved of the draft in the first reading. Curricula can be different but we want them to gradually resemble each other. After the analysis, we can introduce concrete corrections to the curriculum. When will the definite standardization take place? We will see. In our opinion, the standardization isn’t possible. However, the results will show the truth.” said the politician.

The subjective evaluation 

Narkiewicz is also against the form of the exam in which a student has four different topics of an essay. “An essay is subjective in itself. It’s not a dictation nor a test in which a mistake is a mistake. How will students’ opinions be evaluated? When the examiners know form which school the exams are, won’t they have a negative attitude towards students form national minorities schools?” the politician asked rhetorically.

Błaszkiewcz as well does not approve of the subjectivism in the evaluation process. “There will be 800 examiners. How will they deal with a stylistic mistake? Some people can treat it as a mistake, some people no.” wondered Adam Błaszkiewcz.

Source:  http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/chca-zrobic-dobrze-przy-zlych-zalozeniach.d?id=59604551

Tłumaczenie Karolina Rolka w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Karolina Rolka the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.