Looking at how teachers assess students, like setting tests, education experts argue that this can determine students’ success or failure. The say the practice of assessing differs and it requires a lot of effort and skills to ensure that students get what is required. Aminadhad Niyonshuti, an English teacher at Apaper Complex School in Kicukiro, says assessments not only help students, but teachers too. He says that assessment means giving students’ tests, exams, and essays along with projects at the end of various topics or during the term, depending on the teachers’ schedule. Why assessment? Niyonshuti believes that this is a very effective learning tool and that every teacher, or school in general, should embrace it. “When students are assessed, it determines their study habits as well as how revision on what is relevant. It’s a vital aspect as far as learning is concerned,” he says. In fact, he says, it is through assessment that a teacher is in the position to know whether or not their courses have been understood. He adds that by the time a particular lesson or topic is covered, when students are tested, it helps to meet the learning objective, depending on what the teacher set as a goal. Also, Niyonshuti feels that when students are tested frequently, it aids them to see how they perform in class; they are in the position to determine if they have understood certain topics. Jack Irabagiza, a teacher at Martyrs School in Remera, notes that it’s also through assessment that a student is motivated to work hard, depending on the grades they get. For instance, she says, if students find out that they are doing poorly in certain areas, it will help them focus on doing better the next time around. “It is also feedback and students get to know how they are progressing; this is through their teachers reports,” she says. Teachers can benefit as well Irabagiza notes that teachers are also to benefit should they develop the culture of assessing their students. She explains that this is simply because teachers who frequently test their students get to know if their teaching was effective or not. “This helps them to identify the weak areas and work on them; the case is different if this doesn’t happen as it’s easier to assume that your lesson was understood only to be shocked when exam results come out,” Irabagiza adds. Paul Nsabimana, a teacher at St Patrick in Kicukiro, says that assessing students frequently allows teachers to ensure that their students are learning what is needed, which aids in meeting learning objectives. He says that this exposes the learners to the way exams are set, and it makes them familiar with what is really needed when it comes to examinations. He adds that this prevents them from reversing anyhow; rather, they focus on key aspects, as it saves time. “When learners are assessed, parents also benefit. It helps them know how their children are progressing, of which they can find out what is missing and what should be done to fix the problem,” Nsabimana says. Nsabimana adds that it’s through assessment that a learner can be encouraged to work harder. For example, he says it’s impossible for a learner to improve their grades, especially when close to finals, if they’ve been performing poorly, but this can change if they were assessed along the way. He says that it’s through tests that teachers can discover what students do and do not know to improve teaching techniques during and after assessment. “Besides, when students are assessed, it doesn’t only help measure their awareness, it also exposes the gaps so that teachers adjust during coming lessons,” says. Nsabimana says this helps students while at school and also when they leave the school environment. “They will be in the position to graduate with the basic skills and knowledge that will help them pursue career opportunities,” he says. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
