学生负担不减反增? 广东高考改革方案惹质疑

日前，广东省教育考试院公布了《广东省普通高校考试改革调整方案》，新方案调整了高考的科目设置，实行“3＋文科综合/理科综合”的模式。其中“3”为语文、数学、外语三科，数学分为文科数学和理科数学；文科综合包括思想政治、历史、地理三个科目，理科综合包括物理、化学、生物三个科目。新方案一公布，立刻引起社会热论，不少家长和老师质疑新方案不会给孩子减负，反而加重孩子负担。

Wang Yuanyuan

A new plan for the National College Entrance Examinations (NCEE) in Guangdong Province has some students and teachers in Shenzhen alarmed after its announcement on November 7.

A new academic proficiency test would be introduced in the new plan, and the first test would be held in September next year, according to the Guangdong Provincial Education Bureau.

Apart from the three main courses, Chinese, English and mathematics, students of liberal arts would be tested on science courses, including physics, chemistry and biology, while students of science would be tested for politics, history and geography.

Results of the tests would be graded into A, B, C and D levels and would be included in the final results of the NCEE. Students who want to enter the national key universities would need to be at least C level for all six courses.

Moreover, the new plan would cancel tests for optional courses and change them into art and science comprehensive ability tests. For example, the art comprehensive test includes three courses, history, politics and geography, and each course has 100 points in the test. Students can choose to take either the art or science comprehensive test and do not have to take tests for the optional courses.

The official in charge of the city’s student recruiting office surnamed Fan said last Tuesday that the new plan can reduce burdens for the students because the results of the NCEE are not the only factor for entering the universities. The academic proficiency test and the cancellation of the optional course tests can also help students study a good variety of subjects.

However, students raised questions about the new plan, saying that it would be burdensome.

“We will have to study more courses according to the new plan,” said Chen Huaixiang, 17, a Senior 2 student in Hongling High School, on Saturday. “The old comprehensive test was multiple choice, and so, even though it covered three more courses, the test was not very difficult. But now each course has 100 points, which means there will be more categories other than multiple choice. In this case, the test will be more difficult than before, and we have to learn every course well, which will make us more tired than before.”

Many students also worry about the academic proficiency test.

“I have to get As in all courses to ensure that I can get into a good university,” said Feng Xiaolin, a Senior 2 student in Nantou High School. “But in the past I didn’t have to pay extra attention to these courses, and just passing the graduation test would be okay. My focus was on the NCEE. This would be like taking the NCEE twice.”

Teachers also complained about the changes because they would create troubles for teacher allocations in school.

“Numbers of teachers for optional subjects used to be allocated according to the number of students. But now as the degree of difficulty of the tests has increased, we have to have more teachers for these subjects, such as biology and geography,” said a high school principal who asked not to be identified.

Regulations on the NCEE in Guangdong Province have been changed five times in the past 10 years. “I think the most important thing for the NCEE now is not to change that frequently,” the principal said. “Each change has its advantages and drawbacks. Some people will like it and some not. But it does not matter. Changing too frequently will bring much more trouble to students and schools. We do not know what to do about teaching and the teaching management and students also do not know how to prioritize subjects.”