Our reporter Zhang Galun
On March 31, the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education announced that it would no longer undertake the Cambridge General English Test Band 5, which caused many speculations.
The Cambridge General English Level 5 Examinations (Main Suite Examinations, abbreviated as MSE) is a series of proficiency exams that examine candidates' English listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities, and are suitable for English learners at different stages.
In the 1990s, the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education introduced MSE to China, but it has been tepid.
In recent years, KET (Introduction to English Test) and PET (Elementary English Test), which are mainly aimed at elementary and middle school students, have become popular.
In some large cities, it is hard to even apply for a name, and it is hard to find a position in the examination.
Not long ago, some media exposed the chaos of high price lock-in examinations in MSE.
A parent of a primary school student in Haidian District, Beijing, told a reporter from the Science and Technology Daily that when choosing to participate in PET, one is thinking about "promoting learning through exams" to see how well the child's English level is; second, because everyone has this certificate, "you don’t have one. It seems that you can't speak English."
Moreover, it is also popular among parents to refer to the rumors of MSE related certificates when selecting students for middle schools.
"In recent years, all kinds of competitions have been suspended, but the demand for school selection is still strong. Parents also hope to have hard indicators to show their children's excellence." Chen Zhiwen, secretary general of the Talent Development Professional Committee of the China Education Development Strategy Society, told the reporter of Science and Technology Daily , The understanding of the role of MSE, in fact, there is also an amplification effect.
There is no exact statement about what school needs this certificate and under what circumstances.
But when the parents inquire about a straw that may be useful, they will desperately grab it.
"The mentality of parents is that one is one, and there is better than nothing." MSE has become a "popular" in the exam, with more than 100,000 applicants in 2019.
"This reflects a kind of collective anxiety."
Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, also said that the MSE became popular because everyone took the exam too seriously.
Coupled with the "incitement" of relevant training institutions, it has aggravated parents' anxiety.
"It is necessary to see clearly the function of the exam, to clarify what its positioning is and what problems it can solve. The results of the exam should be used within an appropriate range." Chu Zhaohui said.
One of the reasons for the popularity of MSE may be the undertaking of the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education. Strict examination management has ensured the gold content of this certificate.
In fact, MSE was originally an English proficiency test for all ages, but the current main reference group is elementary school students under 12 years old.
The Ministry of Education has issued a series of policies prohibiting the connection of enrollment of primary and secondary schools with any form of social competition.
Chen Zhiwen said that although MSE is not a competition, it has unexpectedly become popular. As the organizer, the examination center of the Ministry of Education has inadvertently endured a lot of pressure.
It is normal to cut with MSE, and it is in line with the current policy orientation.
Chu Zhaohui analyzed that the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education is an official institution. Since there has been no private evaluation institution in the country for a long time, it has become a partner of MSE in a specific historical period.
In recent years, the number of MSE applicants has increased sharply, and it is difficult for the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education to cope with such a strong demand for examinations.
Private organizations can flexibly adjust the examination room and personnel based on changes in the number of applicants, but the response speed of official organizations is often not fast enough.
Moreover, in the long run, the return of this type of examination to the private sector is truly in line with its operating model.
Chu Zhaohui believes that professional evaluation still requires private professional organizations to solve problems and meet needs.
"If you can't find a suitable institution to connect, it may have a certain impact on the test. Of course, people who want to take the test will still find a way to take the test. If there is no test center in the country, they can still take the test overseas."
At present, MSE needs to find a new partner in China, which may be a private professional evaluation agency, or it may be directly managed by the English Assessment Department of Cambridge University.
Chen Zhiwen believes that it is still difficult to judge the future direction of MSE.
But what is certain is that if the new partner that Cambridge finds is not authoritative enough to strictly enforce the fairness and justice of the exam, the gold content of the certificate will also decrease.
The Cambridge University English Assessment Department stated on the WeChat platform that it will adopt a new service model to provide services to candidates, and will continue to release specific arrangements for the exam.
(Technology Daily, Beijing, April 1st)