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Flypaper

Fewer tests, sez prez

3.28.2011

Barack Obama was at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C., today, answering education-related questions at an event organized by Univision. Responding to a question about standardized exams, the president said that pupils are currently tested too frequently and are under too much pressure to perform well on the high-stakes exams they're given. According to the Washington Post, Obama said that he never wants to see ?schools that are just teaching the test because then you're not learning about the world, you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math. All you're learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test and that's not going to make education interesting.? The president said that students need to be taught interesting information in interesting ways because young people are ?not going to do as well? if their classes are ?boring.?

?Liam Julian, Bernard Lee Schwartz Policy Fellow

Tags: Barack Obama Washington
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