SK>The kids who do complete the exam in our country are considered to
SK>be so far above the rest of their peers, and in achievement they
SK>are. What is it that makes students in other countries more
SK>willing to work to such a level in greater numbers?
-> Not to beat on a well-used drum, but I'm inclined to
-> believe that facing exit exams leads those students to
-> pursue the best education they can get, while many US
-> kids pursue the education which provides the highest
-> grades for the least work!
SK>Yes, I guess this must be a big part of it.
SK>This past year at our school, there was an AP course that (ok, I admit
SK>this is student hearsay...but I've heard it from so many different
SK>sources, I tend to find it rather credible) students were required to do
SK>little work and all got very good grades (I heard that the whole class
SK>earned A's at the semester?). No one complained. Little work, high
SK>grades...sounds good, right? Well, sounded good until the AP exam was
SK>administered for that course. Then the complaints flew. So, it does
SK>sound reasonable that kids (and sometimes their parents too) seek out
SK>courses which will award the highest grades with the least effort.
SK>Except where an external exam is involved. Then, all of a sudden,
SK>learning something really matters.
Seems pretty obvious, doesn't it!  Now if we could just 
convince the people who make decisions...
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 * MR/2 2.26 * It's OS/2, Jim, but not OS/2 as we know it.
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