After national exams or simulations, the so-called “pearls” of students’ works invariably appear in the public space, with the aim of arousing amusement. A wrong approach, say many voices in Education, from students to teachers and experts. “There is no educational value in publicly exposing mistakes, taken out of context and turned into <
“It’s wrong because we turn a moment of reckoning into a show of humiliation”
Education expert Gabi Bartic believes that displaying “pearls” is a totally wrong approach. And she explains why:
,,The exam — be it mock or real assessment — should be a learning tool for the system: to show us where we are, what works and, above all, what doesn’t work. Instead, we turn it into a moment of collective entertainment, in which we laugh superiorly at the most vulnerable participants: the children.”
Moreover, says Gabi Bartic, there is no educational value in public exposure of mistakes.
Mihnea Stoica, former president of the Dâmbovița Student Council, is of the same opinion. Now a law student, Mihnea was going through the emotions of the Baccalaureate exam a few years ago.
,,,It is not a positive thing to see such “pearls”. Certainly they may seem funny at first glance, but it is important to look at where they come from: stress, pressure from parents and teachers, misunderstanding of the subjects, etc. (…) Even very conscientious students could make such mistakes. The exam period can be extremely demanding”.
What the “pearls” actually show us
If we stop turning them into a spectacle, the two say, mistakes in student work can actually become valuable indicators for reforms and adjustments in education.
Mihnea Stoica explains:
“These pearls” show us, in a simplified tone, the problems we have in the education system. The results from the PISA tests are not very promising, and this can be seen in the exams: students do not understand the requirements or they misunderstand them. The education system in Romania omits many elements that could be integrated, such as critical thinking. The focus remains, for decades, on memorizing information rather than processing it and developing students’ skills.”
Also regarding the emphasis placed on reproducing information, instead of understanding it, Gabi Bartic adds:
“This is where bizarre formulations, confusions, wrong associations arise – not because students “can’t”, but because they haven’t been taught enough to think and then write meaningfully.”
At the same time, the expert points out, “pearls don’t say students are weak”. Instead, he sees them as symptoms of problems in the system:
“It shows disconnects between what we teach and what students understand, between what we assess and what matters in real life, between exam pressure and children’s real ability to think coherently under stress.”
Why do teachers make them public?
Another sensitive aspect is that the pearls end up in the public space because correctional teachers pass them on.
“Here is the most uncomfortable part. I think there are several causes: it can be a form of unloading after very intense periods (correction is tiring and frustrating), maybe the need for validation (“look how poorly prepared the students are”), but also a professional culture in which the student’s mistake is still seen as proof of his failure, not as a shared responsibility”. says Gabi Bartic.
However, this approach would actually undermine the role of teachers:
“In the public eye, it’s no longer just the student’s mistake — it becomes a legitimate question about what happened in the teaching process. If we want respect for the profession, we must start by protecting the dignity of those we educate.”
What we can learn from students’ mistakes
“Gaps don’t appear on the last day of school. They build up over years. If they only become visible on the exam, it means the system didn’t have enough feedback mechanisms along the way,” explains Gabi Bartic. It recommends:
- real, not just formal, continuous assessment that identifies gaps in time;
- clear tools for teachers (the standards we talk about so much) that show what real progress means;
- less pressure at exam time and more support for the learning process;
- focus on metacognition – that is, teaching students how to learn, not just what to memorize.
Mihnea Stoica concludes:
“These mistakes must be taken seriously by decision-makers and education experts. They should not be publicly displayed in any form. They are not “pearls” written by public figures, they are the mistakes of children under tremendous pressure and should be understood as places where the education system can improve, and this requires reforms and investment.”
