54 lntemational
~Those preparing to take crucial sams are
particularly jittery. The gaolcao, China's
single university-entrance exam, is usually
held in June. nus year it will probably be
delayed, says Xu Liangcli of China Policy, a
think-tank, although the government has
so far made no announcement.
Around 245,000 students in Britain
were expecting in May and June to sit their
A-levels, the exams that determine which
university-if any-will grant them a place.
OnMarch:l8th the govemmentannounced
that those exams would be cancelled. Boris
Johnson, the prime minister, said that the
government would make sure that chil-
dren still got "the qualifications they need
and deserve for their academic: career."
That may go some way to assuaging fears
that children whose parents lack the cash
or knowledge to compensate for schools
closing would be worst affected.
For American students the stakes are
lower, in part because their transaipt-
based on their academic performance
throughout the year-is the most impor-
tant part of their university application,
but also because they can take SATs, the ex-
ams used Jn college admissions, all year
round. Most sit them in the spring. For
those hoping to start university in 2021, the
March and May tests have been cancelled.
They will be rescheduled, however, and
students maybeabletotakethemathome.
Nonetheless universities may have to
be more accommodating. Covid-19 will
"absolutely" affect the admissions proce-
dure for Miami Univenity in Ohio, says
Bethany Perkins, the director of admis-
sions-particularly the deadlines. Stu-
dents with offers from American universi-
ties have to choose which to accept by May
ist. But students wony that they will have
to make an important decision without be-
ing able to visit any campuses. Along with
their parents, some are calling for the date
to be pushed back to June ist. Colleges have
yet to react. Harvard says it is not changing
its application process.
The dismption has lent ammunition to
those who disapprove of high-stakes ex-
ams, which some education theorists want
to scrap. Some institutions have already
made SATS optional. Othen, including Mi-
ami University, were considering doing so.
The upheaval caused by covid-19 might ac-
celerate that process, says Ms Perkins. But
the flaws of other kinds of assessment may
become clear in the coming months, bol-
stering those who believe that SATS and
other high-stakes exams. which offer a rel-
atively objective and transparent measure
of ability, are the least unfair way to decide
who gets into university.
The pandemic won't change this. But it
will highlight the strengths and weakness-
es of teaching online. online resources are
increasingly popular but few countries
boast a developed digital infnstructure for- Safety-neb
Households with internet •ccess. IJll
Italy__/-
20()5 07 09 11 13 15 17 19
Souraes: Worid Bank;100200OECD; nat1on9I Mlsdc:s *lnc:ludes mob lie oonnec:tlol\Sall students. A survey by Teacher Tapp, an
app, of over 6,ooo teachers in Britain found
that only 40% of those in state schools
would be able to broadcast a video lesson,
compared with69%ofteachersatindepen-
dent schools. Elena Silva of New America, a
think-tank, says that few American st.ates
have adequate kit for teaching online.
"Most states are not that prepared. This is a
moment of forced opportunity."
Teachers have little choice but to seize
it. Since Italy closed its.schools and univer-
sities on March 5th. teachers' fomms have
filled with dlscussions on the relative mer-
its of zoom, Moodie and virtual cl~
rooms. Some teachers had been trained to
use such technology. butmanyhavefaceda
steep learning curve. carla crosato, a
teacher in neviso, in northern Italy, has
been uploading videos in which she eic-
plains the novels of Italo SVevo and Luigi
Pirandello to her students. ftl never thought
I'd become a YouTUber at 56,ft she says.
Even if teachers manage to broadcast
their lessons, students may struggle to join
them. Not everyone can get online (see
chart). In America 7m school-age children
cannot access the intemet at home. lin
Kengying of 21St century Education Re-- W. still .... d an muaition
To Mardi 18th .2020
~ r
q
The Economist March 21st 2020search Institute, a think-tank in China,
says that the closure of schools since the
Lunarnewyearholiday, which beganatthe
end or January, has led his organisation to
reconsider the potential of e-learning. ,t
hasn't been smooth," he says, citing pro-
blems such as internet access, scheduling
classes, teachers unfamiliar with online
tuition, and subjects such as physical edu-
cation being "awkward" to teach remotely.
In China teachers have to submit lesson
plans for review by censon, which has led
to delays. Students have been spamming
themainonlineteachingappwithone-star
reviews in an effort to get it removed from
the app store. And xue Hua, a mother of
two in Jiangxi province, bas been printing
out all the learning materials for her 16-
year-old son, Guo Guo, becausesheworries
abouttoomuch screen-time.
Even done properly. online learning is a
poor substitute for the kind that happens
in a classroom. on average, students fare
worse working online, especially those
with less strong academic backgrounds,
says Susanna Loeb of Brown University.
Online courses can be an asset when stu-
dents cannot be in school, but she reckons
that they are "suboptimal for most" and ar-
gues that long periods of time spent away
from actual schools will probably lead to
children's education suffering.
Online leaming has clear potential.
Educational technology powered by artifi-
cial intelligence can help children in poor
countries with iffy schools--6upposing
they have internet access. In 2018 research-
ers found that after four and a half months
of using an Indian app called Mindspark,
which tests basic language and maths
skills, children made more progress in
these areas than those in the control group.
But the success of such initiatives relies on
preparation and organisation, not sudden
scrambles to trach existing curriculums to
entire populations of students in the midst
of a pandemic. •-
Sou~ UNESCO;
American Eutapise
lilS1111Jte ~- C.Ountry-/stlte-Wldeschool closures
Lacaliml school closures •from March 20th