Cambridge shares insights from international assessment data at Middle East Thought Leadership Forum

The disruption caused by Covid-19 has intensified debate on the nature of teaching, learning and assessment. However, a Cambridge-EDUCATE report found, as the world pivoted quickly to remote schooling, there was little time to consult research to inform change. At the Middle East Education Thought Leadership Forum, Cambridge put evidence and research at the centre of the discussion about how to move education forward, which it suggests would positively inform recovery across the region:

“Education underpins our economies and our societies. It is the key to a more sustainable and resilient future for all – in the Middle East and beyond.” – Dr Hanan Khalifa, Director of Education Transformation & Impact, Cambridge Partnership for Education, Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Tim Oates CBE, Group Director, Assessment Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, delivered a keynote talk at the forum on “Specialisation and routes to Higher Education: what international assessment data tells us about high performing education systems”. Dr Hanan Khalifa moderated questions following Tim’s talk.

Ahead of his talk, Tim advised “Education reform should always be well-evidenced and thoughtful. We encourage all policy makers considering the future of education and assessment to engage with international evidence and research, especially as they plan potentially drastic developments to recover and progress following this global crisis.”

Tim explored the current debate around the future of exams and qualifications at 16 years old, using the example of the discussion questioning the role of GCSE in England. Drawing on a recent Cambridge report on high stakes testing after basic secondary education, he shared an overview of the international scene. He presented key findings that no single approach to assessment at the end of basic secondary education is associated with the success of all really high performing education systems, but that two-thirds of these systems use external assessment at this stage. In many of those countries, Tim shared, external assessment plays a vital role in determining students’ directions in education and providing them with qualifications in subjects they might not study further. He emphasised that there is no evidence to suggest abandoning external assessment, or not adopting it in the first place, is associated with higher student performance at system level.

Tim concluded by recommending that policymakers understand realities of international and local data and use sound evidence to inform their decisions. He observed that functions and quality of external assessment are important – and encouraged the Middle East Thought Leadership Forum attendees to remember the importance of the eco-system of assessment and education.