I was shocked when I read the results of the secondary school certificate examinations, especially the small number of students who scored full marks and the fact that the 10 top scorers came from a single private school in Riyadh.
Is it possible by all standards that the number of outstanding students produced by one school out of the 2,000-plus secondary schools in the country should account for more than half of the total, no matter what talent and resources that school might possess?
Is it possible that of all the cities in the country, Riyadh should account for 53 percent of all students who scored high marks in natural sciences while a city like Jeddah makes only six percent of the total?
Is it possible that 30 students in the natural sciences section scored full marks, including 16 students from that private school, while no student from among the thousands across the country scored full marks in subjects like Shariah and administration?
The results are shocking. Officials at the Ministry of Education must give a rational explanation. I am not questioning the way students are being taught or casting doubts on the examination process or the ability of some schools to score high marks. But based on these results it does not look as though the entire education system is safe and sound. If I were responsible for those results I would have thought twice before putting my signature to the final results.
In statistical studies the expression “normal distribution” means that if the methodology is correct the results are reliable. If the same principles were applied to the exam results we should find no fundamental differences among our secondary schools in terms of the syllabus, methods of teaching and the academic standards of the teachers. If differences do emerge, then something is wrong with our education system.
The outcome of the secondary school examinations points to a discrepancy in the “normal distribution” of the results. It is here that questions must be asked. Silence from the Ministry of Education will only lead to further confusion and result in loss of confidence in the education system itself.
