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Tuesday, August 28, 2007 [ 11:20 PM ]
NCAE (2nd part)
In a report by Manila Bulletin online, Education secretary Jesli Lapus said that they will spend about 50 million pesos for this year’s National Career Assessment Examination. Now, isn’t it too much money to spend for a not so useful exam?
Although DepEd officials clarified that the NCAE is not similar to the National Career Entrance Examination (NCEE) because it does not serve as a pass to enter college, it cannot be denied that they are similar when it comes to redundancy and irrationality. This idea was also the reason why former senator and education secretary Raul Roco decided to abolish the National Secondary Aptitude Test (NSAT) in the 90’s.
The argument was that in the presence of the self conducted entrance examinations of different colleges and universities, both NCEE and NSAT became unnecessary. Colleges and Universities prefer their own entrance examinations to evaluate if students fit the school standards and the courses they wanted to pursue. Though some used NCEE/NSAT as part of the requirements to enter college, they were not specific enough to be used as the only basis for course qualification.
With regard to the NCAE which is presumed to determine students’ aptness to college courses, it still just duplicates the purpose of entrance examinations. Both schools and students are not going to look at it as the basis for eligibility to the course but in the result of entrance exams.
NCAE is just another rehashed government program that will use taxpayers’ money in vain. If DepEd really wants to improve the educational system in the country, then they should start knowing which things should be given priority. If students are not having a quality education in their developing years, which is in the elementary level, they might not even have the chance of getting to high school to take any exam to assess their college capabilities.
If the government really wants to stop the nation’s escalating unemployment, they should focus in improving first the quality of our free education. Improving free education will include facility enhancements, improved classrooms, better salary for capable teachers, free accurate textbooks and low price supplemental reading materials. Only when better education is provided to students will our problem in both poverty and unemployment will be solved.
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Chris Maño, a 21-year-old coffee lover who likes to talk about various things such as politics, beliefs, humor, music, books and anything of interest and social relevance. Graduated in the University of Santo Tomas with an AB Journalism degree and currently working as a full pledged assassin. Usually perceived as a silent type guy but in truth is a whacky comedian in heart and in profession.
