Rejected Appeal: 'Exen' Continues in Bavaria's Territory
In a recent development, a petition to ban unannounced tests and quizzes in Bavarian schools has been met with rejection by the CSU (Christian Social Union), Free Voters, and AfD parties. The petition, which has gathered over 60,000 signatures, was initiated by Amelie N. and submitted to the chairwoman of the education committee earlier in April.
The rejection of the petition is largely attributed to the parties' belief in the importance of such assessments for maintaining academic standards and discipline. Unannounced tests, they argue, ensure continuous engagement and honest evaluation of student learning, while announced tests help prepare students.
While specific reasons from these parties regarding this issue are not explicitly stated, their political orientations typically lean towards defending established school regulations and resisting changes perceived as reducing academic rigor or teacher authority. As a result, they may have rejected the petition on the grounds that banning unannounced tests could weaken educational standards and assessment integrity in Bavarian schools.
Support for the petition, however, came from unexpected quarters. The SPD and Greens voiced their backing for the students' demand to abolish "Exen", as did the Forum for Education Policy in Bavaria, the GEW trade union, and the Bavarian Parents' Association.
Ute Eiling-Hütig, a CSU politician, called for continued dialogue on the issue, suggesting that schools and teachers should have the autonomy to decide whether to use unannounced tests as a testing method. Meanwhile, Konrad Baur (CSU) considered "Exen" to be pedagogically sensible.
In response to the rejection, Amelie N., the petition's initiator, expressed disappointment but vowed to continue making noise on the issue. Nicole Bäumler (SPD) suggested more cooperation instead of abolishing "Exen", pointing out that there are no comparable testing methods in any other federal state.
The Ministry of Education has proposed an "open-ended" discussion on the use of "Exen", signalling a willingness to engage with the concerns raised by the petition and its supporters. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether Bavarian schools will see a change in their testing policies.
The rejection of the petition against unannounced tests in Bavarian schools by the CSU, Free Voters, and AfD parties is based on their belief in the role of such assessments in upholding academic standards and discipline. On the other hand, the SPD, Greens, Forum for Education Policy in Bavaria, GEW trade union, and Bavarian Parents' Association have voiced their support for the petition, which calls for the abolition of unannounced tests, highlighting the need for education-and-self-development, lifestyle, and general-news-worthy discussions about the testing methods in schools.
