Study shows that nearly half inflate GPAX marks
SIRIKUL BUNNAG
A study has confirmed many high schools exaggerated the GPAX, or cumulative grade point average, to increase chances of their students being admitted to university.
The findings were unveiled yesterday by Sirichai Kanjanawasee, director of Chulalongkorn University's educational testing and evaluation centre.
A seminar was told that Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) scores had been used to analyse the GPAX which individual students accrued during their upper high school years.
The seminar was organised by the National Institute of Educational Testing Services (Niets).
The researcher used the O-Net scores which Mathayom Suksa 6 students from 2,583 schools received in the 2006 academic year to compare with their GPAX scores in five major subjects, social science, foreign language, science, mathematics and Thai language.
GPAX scores are given by schools.
The study found that almost half of the high schools surveyed inflated grades for their students.
The GPAX scores make up 30% of the university admission criteria while the O-Net and Advanced National Educational Test (A-Net) scores account for the rest.
''We use a research method that reflects the reality. The findings show that 1,224 of the 2,583 schools have exaggerated their students' grades.''
Grading which met the standard was found in 121 schools while 1,238 other schools gave grades that were too low. The schools that inflate grades are mostly small- and medium-size schools while grades tended to be unrealistically low in larger schools, said Mr Sirichai.
To standardise the GPAX scores of schools that gave out high grades to their students, the schools must decrease the scores by 0.95%, he said.
His research team would present the findings to the Basic Education Commission to consider.
He admitted grading was a sensitive issue and schools may mount resistance against any plan to adjust grades.
Those in charge of the university admission system had yet to decide whether to start using such O-Net score comparisons to balance the GPAX, in a bid to tackle the problem of grades being inflated.
But if the score comparison is to be used, it could begin in 2010 when the admission criteria are being adjusted, he said.
The ministry must notify students and schools at least three years in advance if it wants to introduce any measure to balance the GPAX scores, he suggested.
He said the GPAX score system in the university admission system was approved by politicians who were not well-versed in education affairs.
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