An argument in opposition of the removal of standardized tests.

[Amethyst Phoenix]

So I need to have my case for this debate ready by tomorrow. The resolution is: "Public high school students in the United States ought not be required to pass standardized exit exams to graduate."

 

This is my Negative Case (disagreeing with the resolution).

 

 

 

 

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Negative Case

Standardized tests……One of the most dreaded aspects of anyone’s high school career. Many live in apprehension of them, worry over their scores, and study deep into the night until they collapse from exhaustion.

 

You think they’d have realized how much sheer hyperbole surrounds these tests.

 

Truth be told, standardized tests are some of the easiest schoolwork you will ever encounter. They contain naught but basic knowledge most every human being needs to function in society. In fact, to graduate and earn your diploma requires a mere 70% of the questions to be answered correctly. Let’s put this into perspective: we’re already allowing a 30% failure rate to be considered a success. If you were to board an airplane and the staff informed you there was 30% chance the engines would explode; all 200 passengers engulfed in flames, would you stay on this airplane? That’s 200 lives affected. The education of our youth affects in excess of 300 million lives. I think we’re being generous enough in selecting the future workforce of our society.

 

My value for today is common sense, and my criterion for this somewhat rare value is doing things logically.

 

Logic is a very complex word: it means reasoned and reasonable judgment. To better illustrate this point, let’s look at some scenarios:

 

We give our children a well rounded and superb education, covering such important concepts as reading, writing, arithmetic, biology, and health. We also expose them to fine arts such as painting, sculpture, and drama. We ensure they have adequately learned all of these subjects, by administering an exam designed to test their capabilities and how much of it they have retained. Those students that have proven themselves worthy adepts in these basic skills go on to better refine and specialize their skills at a college or take a trade. They go on to become productive members of society.

 

Logical!

 

 

We let our teachers fill their students’ heads with whatever they so please, resulting in an unbalanced, inadequate, and rather faulty education, made either too rigorous or too lax. They then are released into this world, for merely showing up and sitting in a desk each day and putting in minimal effort, on the ground that they “tried”. We now have a society full of useless delinquents who can’t even rap a burger, yet are entrusted with performing surgery, providing our sustenance, preparing our meals, ensuring the safety of our world, and running our government.

 

NOT LOGICAL!!!

 

 

 

If by some strange occurrence this logic has not shown you the light, I offer these contentions to further supplement my argument.

 

For my first contention, I’d like to address the issue of drop-out rates. A common criticism of standardized tests is that they increase drop-out rates, via intimidating students with their daunting difficulty. First, I’d like to state this is a sheer fallacy. The ones who dropout, are the ones who could care less about their education in the first place, and have consigned themselves to a life of minimum wage: essentially society’s waste products.

 

Eliminating tests to improve dropout rates is silly, because dropout rates are a non-issue. People that dropout are unable or unwilling to grasp these basic, necessary concepts that are tested. If we allow them to graduate without the knowledge of the concepts on the test, they’re the same person with the same lacking ability as the aforementioned dropout. The only difference is that the incompetent people are considered more “qualified” and get jobs they lack the skills to ably perform.

 

Abolishing tests to lower our dropout rates does absolutely nothing to help society.

 

 

 

For my second contention, we’ll touch upon another rather delicate issue: the disabled and English-learners.

 

I was once told excellence is not exclusive. However, the truth is that it most certainly is. Everyone cannot exceed; everyone is not capable. While it may be through no fault of their own, the disabled are simply inadequate for occupations on the same level as the rest of the population. To entrust them with important jobs in which the country, economy, and even lives are on the line is dangerous and foolish.

 

This may seem harsh. However, reality is often harsh, and it’s a fact we all have to face. To award them a full diploma and tell them they are fully capable is not only detrimental to society’s welfare, but insulting to them. We are lying to them, and the disabled deserve the truth.

 

As for the issue of those learning English, the fact of the matter is that, while it may not America’s language officially, English is in all other contexts the language of America. It is required to speak the English language to succeed in America. Those who have not learned our language should not be coddled by the school system and told they are perfectly fit to function in our society.

 

The underlying point of my stance on these two demographics is that improving self-esteem via a web of lies and deceit is not worth severely hampering our nation’s welfare.

 

 

I am now open for cross-examination.

 

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If anyone has some suggestions etc, feel free to comment.

[RestLess-BoTics]

Would you like to have this thread moved to the "Debates" sub-section? It's your choice whether or not to move it, or keep it here in the "General" section.

[Amethyst Phoenix]

Keep it here please. It's not really a debate I'm starting, it's a prepared case I merely want feedback on ^^