Forms of Assessment in Secondary Schools

There is a considerable difference in attitude to secondary school assessment both within and between various groups in the community. In recent years the community has become increasingly critical of the traditional school practices which culminate in the external examination at the end of Form V. The critics tend to fall into three distinct groups: Those who want to see efforts concentrated on improving the existing external examination system, those who see an externally produced examination only as a moderating device for a school-based assessment, and those who entirely reject any form of competitive assessment. These three groups can be placed on a continuum which represents, at least in part, a continuum of community trust and confidence in schools and teachers.