The line of kids who filed through the doorway were going to dread the next 40 minutes. Nagging anxiety has been haunting them for the entire day, making their day torture. The lights seemed dim in the eyes of the terrified students and the teacher simply walked around, handing out death warrants with a blank stare. The students began taking the stress-inducing test. They had stayed up late last night, stuffing information into their brains. Memorizing everything they could.
Wait. There. Did you hear that word? Memorizing? That is the problem with our current education system. Our society is ruining our next generation and we will keep repeating the same mistake until someone acts upon this treacherous education system which is referred to
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The American Test Anxiety Association states it's possible that 20 percent of kids in schools have severe test anxiety, and another 18 percent have a mild form of the condition. This is an epidemic that stresses our students. It can interfere with personal life and hurt kids not only mentally but emotionally. Vasu Babaria, a student from Hillsborough Middle School says, “Test are very stressful. It can keep me up at night, thinking of the consequences if I get a bad grade.”
All kids, from the east coast to the west coast, are judged by a simple number. 90 and above, you're smart. 80 and above, you are average. 80 and below, you are considered “not smart”. We have to promote learning not promote kids to keep up their “number” or “grade”. Our kids memorize, not learn, as a consequence of this grade-based society. Our society has made a profound mistake in thinking that the joy of learning can be stimulated by compulsion and a sense of duty.
We used to help our kids learn. But now, this generation does not experience the enjoyment of learning all about the fascinating world in which we inhabit. They don’t want to. Because we have crammed information into their brains and told them to remember it for the next test. And after that test is over, they rid themselves of that information. Because they did not learn it so they did not find it intriguing. They just memorized for the next test, not really comprehending what they’re being