Upper secondary students and students' unions want computers as part of matriculation examination
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The Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students (SLL) and the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) are calling for the renewal of the matriculation examination to be taken by all students upon completion of the 3-year upper secondary school programme.
“We strongly feel that students should be able to utilise information technology while taking the matriculation examination”, SLL chairman Niklas Huotari says.
Computers would make the reworking of one’s answers much easier.
“At present, if an examinee wants to make changes to what he has written, he has to use marginal notes to do that. This may affect the grade. Computers would help the students to concentrate on what is essential.”
In SYL chairman Tuomas Telkkä’s opinion, especially those students who are slow in handwriting would benefit from the introduction of computers.
Telkkä feels everyone should have the possibility to use computers when taking the matriculation examination. “All examinees have to have equal rights.”
As it stands, students with a dispensation admitted on medical grounds can utilise IT equipment when taking the matriculation examination.
Chairwoman Mervi Murto of the Mother Tongue Teachers’ Union does not see any reasons why computers should be objected to.
“The present situation is problematic. Some who are very used to using computers have to re-learn how to write by hand”, Murto says.
“The quality and content of the produced text are the primary objectives. In the upper secondary school, at the very least, one should learn how to write both by hand and with a keyboard."
Chairman Peter Johnson of Finland’s Rectors reckons that a computer-based matriculation examination would also benefit those organising the examination. “Going digital would make checking the results easier.”
According to the Ministry of Education, looking into the development of the upper secondary school education will commence this year.
“A separate account on the use of IT equipment is needed, and it could be produced, say, by the Matriculation Examination Board”, contemplates Minister of Education Sari Sarkomaa (Nat. Coalition Party).
The challenges of the process relate to securing a student’s legal protection and the considerable equipment acquisitions that would be required.
“The schools should be able to provide all students with identical equipment”, points out chairman Juhani Lokki of the Matriculation Examination Board.
“One of the pillars of the matriculation examination is its reliability”, Lokki emphasises, with a sharp dig at the recent IT travails of a certain Finnish bank.
According to Johnson, certain new and recently refurbished schools would already have the capability to organise a computer-based matriculation examination. Many universities also offer the possibility to take exams through computers.
“Universities have so-called exam aquariums, where a student can take an exam for example offered by a university in another city”, Telkkä explains.
The exam aquariums are equipped with recordable surveillance cameras, and students use given passwords to log into their computers. The examination questions are waiting for them on the computer.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 12.5.2008 - TODAY |
 Upper secondary students and students' unions want computers as part of matriculation examination
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