Students must wear blinders during exams
A photo of students wearing paper blinkers as they take exams has sparked mixed reactions. The reactions range from exaggerated, unnecessary, insulting and humiliating to a storm in a teacup.
The Student Administrative Board of Kasetsart University has apologized for the controversy it has caused. She says the measure was not intended to humiliate the students.
On Wednesday, the council posted the photo on its Facebook page, but after it provoked a flood of negative reactions, the photo was removed. The damage was already done by then because the photo has since turned up in many other places.
The students of the Faculty of Agriculture had to wear the blinders because the exam hall was very small and they were seated close together. The measure was decided to prevent them from cheating. One FeoLiita wrote on the popular website Pantip.com that some students found the blinkers distracting, causing them to perform poorly.
Political scientist Kasian Tejapira of Thammasat University says he has never heard of the use of valves to prevent cheating, not even in high schools. The anti-cheat helmets could be an indication of poor education, he believes. The use is a failure, even if all approximately one hundred students pass the exam. “The students have been treated as if they were not trusted,” said Kasian.
The dean of Rangsit University's College of Social Innovation believes the photo has damaged the university's reputation and shows a failing education system.
The rector of Kasetsart has promised to study the matter.
(Source: Bangkok Post, August 16, 2013)
Well, it takes some getting used to, with us in the Netherlands they have also been used during exams, and it has been so good that the gentlemen and ladies in politics have never taken them off after their studies.