Possible options for the reform of the EGE named

Following the Bologna system and universities, it was the turn of the Unified State Examination. Authorized persons vied with each other to offer recipes for “improving” the system for passing the final state certification at school. From “cancel everything, return the examination sheet of the tsarist gymnasiums (option – Soviet schools)” to the total digitalization of everything and everyone. Some urge not to take exams for those who do not go to universities, others to take them by choice, others offer to take them once, but in all subjects at once.

Against this background, experts say that with the expansion of artificial intelligence capabilities on the Web, it is better to think not about the format of the final exam, but about the knowledge assessment system in general.

Radical statements in the style of “cancel everything” in relation to the Unified State Examination are heard mainly from the State Duma. Vice Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy, for example, calls for “as soon as possible to start discussing the issue of abolishing the Unified State Examination.” “The Bologna system of unfulfilled hopes” was canceled, it’s time to start school, – calls the deputy. Vyacheslav Volodin, State Duma deputy Sultan Khamzaev, head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin and others are also in favor of the complete abolition of the unified state exam.

The idea of ​​introducing a portfolio into schools, a kind of electronic “portfolio”, where not only grades will be added, but also points for participation in olympiads, competitions, social activities and the average score will be displayed, is also being discussed. Yana Lantratova, head of the Duma Committee on Education, spoke about this recently. The head of Rosobrnadzor also talked about the “portfolio” to the detriment of the Unified State Examination. “Why not create an objective system for recording significant achievements from the sixth grade? – asked Anzor Muzaev. “And make it an alternative to the exam.” And then, they say, the achievements of younger students do not get into the certificate, this demotivates them.

Another, sparing approach to the “dismantling” of the Unified State Examination is demonstrated by some experts. Denis Fomin-Nilov, deputy chairman of the All-Russian Association of Teachers of History and Social Studies, calls, for example, for a “deep revision” of the Unified State Examination. Like, let there be one exam, consisting of questions in all subjects of the school course. And then coaching on 3-4 subjects deprives children of their horizons and deep knowledge. And as a counter to corruption when entering universities, the Unified State Examination does not work, the rector of the Humanitarian University believes.

MK asked Irina Abankina, a leading expert in the field of education, professor at the Institute for the Development of Education at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, to comment on the proposed options for reforming the USE.

– For almost 20 years now, there have been disputes about the final certification in the USE format. The exam is improving, it is not a frozen mechanism. If we compare what was at the beginning of the approbation, then the USE has seriously changed. For example, the part with the choice of one of the answer options was removed. In fact, all tasks today are focused on solving problems, on the manifestation of competence. What has been used and implemented for the third year now is the PISA-oriented approach (PISA is a knowledge assessment system based on functional literacy and meta-subject – ed.). The student uses knowledge from different topics and even different subjects in order to justify his decision.

However, the USE remains a subject-based exam. And my opinion is that in its further development one should go not along the path of increasing the number of subjects, but proceeding precisely from the competence-based approach. When in the form of solving problems, substantiating, demonstrating the ability to make decisions, arguing one’s position and conclusions, the final certification passes. This can be in the form of exams, and defense of projects.

The USE has never been conceived as an anti-corruption mechanism. Unified State Examination – final certification for 11 years of study at school. The fact that universities have abandoned their entrance examinations, with the exception of those who are entitled to them, and agreed to accept the results of the Unified State Examination is the decision of universities to support this form of final certification of schoolchildren. That is, the USE was created as a mechanism for assessing the achievements of schoolchildren after graduation. Therefore, the final certification, in my opinion, cannot be voluntary. Upon completion of the upper secondary education program, graduates must demonstrate mastery of the program. Everyone must – whether they go to universities later, do not go …

I also believe that it is advisable to give the student the opportunity to take exams in various subjects during the year and count the best result from several attempts. To make the exam more convenient and comfortable for students in order to remove the stressful component.

But, by and large, we only have an exam in the Russian language. And no one is going to cancel it as a state exam for the time being. There were talks about not counting points in the Russian language for engineering specialties. The idea did not receive full expert support.

The second compulsory exam is mathematics, but it is divided into two levels. If you are not going to go where math is needed, you pass it at the basic level. It is quite simple and yet absolutely necessary for any modern person.

If a person after the 11th grade decides to continue his education in college, then they are enrolled there according to the average score of the certificate. But it is quite possible to introduce projects, experiments, and some social practices into the format of the final certification. Rosobrnadzor undertook the obligation to gradually translate this into online formats, this is the right decision. And we know that computer science is giving up this way now, not for the first year, and shows very good results. Gradually, all other tests are going to be transferred to online formats.

Another thing is that completely new challenges related to artificial intelligence have been raised today. They sounded very powerful for final qualification works at universities. But it is obvious that they will quickly spread to schools. And we need to prepare for these challenges in a different way. This is not a question of the USE at all, it is a question of the mechanisms for assessing learning achievements in general, when AI programs begin to be widely used.