Cambridge professors are driven to the conclusion (taking into account many years’ experience in academic field) that students are drilled into studying a particular way and not writing their own ideas or responding to questions in a fresh and original way because of the test-driven education.
Professors of history Mr. Robert Tombs and Mr. David Abulafia warned that students were “drilled into writing” in a formulaic manner unable to articulate their own ideas.
Moreover, they claim extremely bright students were making mistakes that would have been encountered among their weakest classmates. “Students achieve some results and they don’t “work their brain” thereafter – they simply don’t need to think any more,” they say.
Addressing the same issue, Mr. John McIntosh, a Government adviser and former head teacher of London Oratory School, said teachers and students were increasingly acting like robots. According to him, the students don’t even know how to structure an essay, yet they can write any test correctly which is not a sound basis to consider them educated.
Mr. Jerry Jarvis, having led the Edexcel board for four years, called for a radical overhaul of the grading system.
