When I began researching and writing about the topic of assessment, I was amazed by the variety and diversity of its methods. I hoped to see schools in our Arab world innovate such modern methods, or even adopt one of them to implement it within their practical programs.
I was excited about the idea... and decided to research the reality in the field, about the assessment methods used and the extent of their development, especially after most ministries of education had generalized the idea of continuous assessment, and cancelled tests for the first three grades. I found that there were some schools that were actually trying to develop their assessment methods, and striving hard to achieve this, but I was surprised that the majority were unable to break free from the traditional method they were accustomed to, and I was truly shocked when I saw a school allocate a whole week to assess kindergarten children by giving them oral and written tests.
Wondering where the self-directed learning method they're supposed to be using is? How do the two methods fit together?! Will they continue to evaluate with this selfish, individual-centered approach? At a time when we most need to cultivate a sense of community, we must stand united in the face of crises. Let's look at the issue from another perspective: doesn't learning more than one language broaden one's horizons and open up horizons of knowledge? What about learning more than one method of evaluation, participating in them, and enabling the child to understand the significance of this process?
Limiting assessment to a single method (choice) places teachers in a position of guardianship and eliminates any role for the child. I believe we need to pause and reflect. The jurisprudence of guardianship is part of our heritage and is superior to the jurisprudence of guardianship.