Adachi Ward to stop school budget allocation in proportion to test scores

   Tokyo’s Adachi Ward Board of Education on September 25 announced that the board will review the current system of budget allocation to public schools based on results of academic tests.

   In response to an inquiry by Japanese Communist Party representative Asako Keiko at the Ward Assembly plenary session, Board of Education secretary general Saito Sachie also revealed a plan to stop making public the ranking of schools based on the academic tests.

   Adachi Ward last November announced that it will allocate school budgets in proportion to academic test results, and implemented this policy in this fiscal year.

   However, concerning the ward’s academic test conducted in April last year, many cases of misconduct aimed at raising school scores were revealed. For example, the elementary school that recorded the best score in the ward had excluded three students’ scores. Some principals and teachers secretly hinted that some answers were wrong during tests so students could correct them.

   Asako pointed out that the ward-wide academic tests have increased disparities among schools, classes, and students, and said, “The fundamental reason that caused such misconduct is the Board of Education’s policy of inciting excessive competitions.” She demanded that the education board stop using test scores to determine school budget allocation and stop conducting such academic tests aimed at revealing school scores and rankings.

   Saito answered that the Board of Education will review the budget allocation system as well as the announcement of school rankings since they have been criticized for excessively promoting competition among schools. However, she refused to review conducting the academic tests.      - Akahata, September 26, 2007