When thinking of the whole child, I believe the whole child
should be measured or assessed not just one portion of the child. When speaking
of the whole child, that means a child who is healthy, safe, engaged,
supported, and challenged. If a child is lacking in one of these areas that
child has a chance of not being measured fairly. For example, if a child has an
error that needs work, during an assessment, that child might be focused on
that area of help rather than on the actual assessment. If a child’s mind is on
something else other than what is being assessed than that child is not going
to score as high as they would if they were completely focused on what they
were doing. Having a complete assessment of the whole child will help the
teacher know where to start and where their strengths and weaknesses are.
In other parts of the world, school-aged children are
assessed different ways. In China, they are facing an ongoing problem with the
educational system with its divorce from the labor markets which is closely
related with the way their children are assessed. China does however have one
of the longest histories of tests and exams in the world. Today they still use
tests and examinations to determine the factors of promoting children into
higher levels of education or even grades. The market-oriented system for
educational outcomes they are finding to be the major problem. Before the
founding of the People’s Republic of China, education in China was very backwards.
The enrolment with primary school-aged children was 20%, while 80% of the
population of the nation was illiterate.
I personally do not feel that there is one way that assesses
the whole child and is accurate. I also feel that in other countries, given the
different situations they may be in, education and assessment is not a
priority.
Reference
Zhang, J. (2004,
April). China’s skill assessment system. Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1126210664195/1636971-1126210694253/China_Skills_Assessment.pdf
