| Chapter 1: | Introduction: The Importance of External Examinations in Education |
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State-sponsored schooling provides the mechanism through which opposing influences can be managed. It is the common instrument used by nations to ‘refresh’ the sources of leadership. Economists have attempted to measure the sacrifice to economic growth that occurs if there is a serious bias in the selection of leaders. It has been estimated that developing countries could improve their Gross National Product (GNP)/capita by five percentage points if they were to base their leadership upon merit as opposed to gender or social status. By some estimates, the economic benefit to developing countries of choosing leaders on the basis of merit would be three times more than the benefit accruing from a reduction in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) trade restriction on imports.
Success in schooling is one of the few characteristics believed necessary for modern leadership. Although it is possible for leaders to emerge through experience, just good fortune, or military might, regardless, success in schooling is considered to be a sine qua non as an essential criterion of legitimacy.
But what if schooling itself is not fair? What if the public comes to believe, perhaps correctly, that the provision of schooling favors one social group over others? What if the public does not trust in the judgment of teachers on student performance? What if the public does not trust the criteria used as a means of selection? What would happen if the process of schooling had been corrupted?
In a democracy, the public often takes an active interest in the fairness of the education system. If the public does not believe the education system to be fair, it might be said that current leaders—whether in commerce, science, military, or politics—had acquired their positions of leadership through privilege rather than achievement. If the school system cannot be trusted, it may detract from a nation’s sense of social cohesion, a principal ingredient of all successful modern societies.
Why Selection Is Necessary
Some educators argue that selection tests are biased and distort what is taught in the classroom. They complain that tests determine the nature of pedagogy, that they emphasize rote memorization of uninterpreted and simplistic information.