Students with poor results would be intentionally left out of school in the 8th grade or would be advised not to participate in the National Assessment, in order not to negatively influence the statistics regarding passing the exam, claims the head of the Alba County School Inspectorate (ISJ), Cornel Sandu.
“There are schools that leave students in the 8th grade in order not to spoil their grades in the National Assessment. Both in rural areas and in urban areas”, said Cornel Sandu.
The statements were made during a press conference and were quoted by the publication Ziarul Unirea.
There are also educational units that recommend students with poor results not to register at all for the exam at the end of grade VIII, although participating in the National Assessment gives them priority in the computerized distribution process at high school, according to the head of ISJ Alba.
“There are schools that recommend that children not take the National Assessment, although those who take the exam, regardless of background, have priority in the national distribution”he said.
Cornel Sandu believes that the changes made to the high school admission system diminished the advantages that students who took the National Assessment had, given that all available places are allocated to high school education.
To illustrate the phenomenon, the Inspector General of Schools gave the example of a class of ten secondary school leavers, of whom only four sat the National Assessment.
“Why didn’t the other six sign up? Because they were told: “Leave it, you’re going in without it anyway. There’s no point in coming anymore””. said Cornel Sandu.
He claims that such practices exist in both rural and urban schools, and affect the real picture of the results achieved by students in the National Assessment.
