I quote: What are assignments for? Are they not graded by the teacher and an individual mark given? Are they not in written form? (Mr Martinelli, TMID 30 September). So Mr Martinelli does not want to abolish the written exam after all! Call them exams, call them tests, call them assignments... call them whatever you like, as long as they are written in black on white the name will not make any difference! “It is true that a line has to be drawn” assures us Mr Martinelli. Agreed once again! Blurred or otherwise it has to be a line that separates success from failure. A single mark may make all the difference.

But if our students’ success or failure has to depend on the subjective assessment of the teacher I repeat: God forbid! No, not because I have no faith in the teacher. The teacher is certainly one of the most dedicated persons and his great and only satisfaction is to see his pupils move forward.

But I have no faith in human nature. And I am not the only one. Humanity itself has no faith in itself and it takes all sorts of steps to control he fragility of its nature. I may give thousands of examples to prove my point, but I limit myself to a couple of samples.

When the education authorities are gearing up for a forthcoming exam, they prepare three different sets of papers set by different groups of persons. The chosen paper is then drawn by lot, in public, a few minutes before the exam starts. Why? Readers can easily reach their own conclusions. Invigilators have to sign the affinity form in which they declare that there is absolutely no relation/connection between them and any single candidate.

We all know why. And these persons are only invigilating and not assessing the students. Pupils are asked to write in ink and not to use correcting fluid. The fragility of human nature can tempt even the justest of persons.

We can see human nature at work wherever we go: a government department, a clinic, a supermarket, a commercial bank... you can see that every person in the queue is trying hard to draw the attention of some friend, relative, neighbour... in the hope that he either jumps the queue or is given pretential treatment. Even judges have been known to refuse to hear a particular case if there is even the remotest connection with any one of the parties. Remember the church school issues in the not too distant past? Even judges are human.

Mr Martinelli is sure that “the vast majority of parents have faith in teachers”. Agreed. In fact we have faith in teachers, in the law courts, in the police, in the wardens... in everyone. As long as we are on the winning side! Ask the parents of failing students what they think of their children’s teachers. I have been in contact with them all my life! Honest readers cannot but agree with the above even if they want to abolish the written exam.

If the written exam is abolished our educational system will certainly go to the dogs. And the parents of the intelligent children will certainly withdraw their children from state schools and send them to private schools.

I think I have explained my point clearly and it is not my intention to waste this space by repeating the same arguments.

Giov. DeMartino

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