SCHOOL RANKING

27 Aug 1993

SCHOOL RANKING

        In Life's cover story on 23 Aug 93, the principal of an 
unnamed school is reported to have plans to apply for the school to be 
exempted from the Normal Technical stream. This is in order to "boost 
the school's chances of climbing in the rankings." I would hope that 
this is an atypical desire, but why do I suspect that it is a vain hope?
        An astute principal calls the ranking  exercise "pure silliness." I 
agree. It is silly to rely on a system that displays what another principal 
terms the "yo-yo effect". Principals readily acknowledge that it is the 
backgrounds of the students that counts the most. 
        Yet it is silliness with a poisoned barb. If it were merely an 
exercise in futility, well then, who cares? However, when it becomes a 
motive to exclude less academically-able students, it becomes cause for 
concern. Do you get the feeling that nobody wants them? I do. It is 
laudable that schools try to improve themselves. However, it must not 
be at the expense of the children. Also, does anyone really believe the 
claim that schools going all out to improve their rankings will not put 
great pressure on their young charges? Indeed, it is the children who 
suffer.
        The publishers of the rankings will doubtless argue that it is 
not their fault that the data is abused. I agree, up to a point. However, 
by publishing such meaningless numbers, they cloak them in a false 
aura of authority and respectability. To that extent, they are responsible 
for perpetuating the mistaken idea that academic result is the only thing 
that counts.
        To be fair, it is commendable that your paper tries to highlights 
the strengths of each school. That is informative and useful and should 
be expanded. Numerical rankings, on the other hands, should be 
consigned to the trash heap as a misguided attempt to quantify the non-
quantifiable - the value of a school and the education it provides its 
students.

END
NB: This letter was faxed on 24/8 to the Forum Editor who requested that it be faxed to Mailbag, Life! instead.