英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun　January 18, 2014
Merits, demerits of natl center test must be examined to promote reform
センター試験　改革に功罪の検証は不可欠だ（1月18日付・読売社説）

The two-day test organized by the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, which begins Saturday, involves 560,000 students applying to enter 843 universities and junior colleges nationwide.
　大学入試センター試験がきょうから２日間、実施される。
　参加する大学・短大は８４３校で、志願者は５６万人にのぼる。

Many students no doubt studied hard day and night in preparation for the tests. We hope they can fully display their abilities.
　多くの受験生が日夜、勉強に励んできたことだろう。試験では実力を存分に発揮してほしい。

The center and officials concerned at each university need to focus their minds to prevent a recurrence of such trouble as the erroneous distribution of test question papers that happened two years ago.
　試験を実施する大学入試センターと各大学の担当者は、一昨年に起きた問題冊子の配布ミスなどのトラブルを繰り返さぬよう、気を引き締めて臨む必要がある。

The National Center Test for University Admissions was introduced in 1990 as a replacement for the standard preliminary test, opening the door for participation by private universities. Currently, about 90 percent of private universities and colleges participate.
　センター試験は１９９０年に導入された。共通一次試験から衣替えし、私立大にも参加の道が開かれた。現在、私立大の約９割が利用している。

Some universities use the center test together with the system to hold exams for candidates recommended by high schools and conduct interviews through their admissions offices.
　推薦入試や、面接などによるＡＯ（アドミッション・オフィス）入試と併用する大学もある。

It may be said that the center test has become established as the uniform test to determine whether examinees have acquired basic scholastic abilities needed for advancing to universities.
　大学進学に必要な基礎的学力を身に着けているかどうかを判定するための共通試験として、定着してきたと言えるだろう。

Test questions, which take about two years to compile, are created by university teaching faculty members and others.
　試験の問題は、大学教員らが２年近くの時間をかけて作成している。

The questions are regarded as reasonable because they do not include unfairly difficult or tricky problems.
難問奇問を排した良質な問題が多いと評価が高い。

The number of test items, on the other hand, has increased to 29 areas in six subjects, as high school curricula became subdivided. Each university and college can freely choose sub-subjects, and the number of them, in an a la carte approach. From the standpoint of examinees, however, the system may be too complicated.
　一方、出題科目数は、高校の授業内容の細分化で６教科・２９科目にまで増えた。各大学はアラカルト方式によって、利用科目や科目数を自由に決められる。受験生から見ると、科目選択が複雑になり過ぎているのではないか。

Pressure on examinees

Furthermore, examinees are undeniably forced to face excessive mental stress given that results of the national center test, held only once a year, largely determine whether they succeed or fail to gain entrance into their desired universities.
　加えて年１回の試験結果が受験の成否を大きく左右することが、受験生に過度の心理的負担を強いている面は否定できない。

Some observers have pointed out that it has become difficult to maintain the nationwide test under the current formula, in which more than 500,000 examinees sit for exams all at once at test venues across the country.
　全国の会場で５０万人以上が一斉に受験する現行方式では、スムーズな運営が困難になっているとの指摘もある。

Discussions on reform of the national center test have been held at the Central Council for Education, in response to recommendations by the Education Rebuilding Implementation Council, a governmental advisory body, that propose the establishment of a new test method to assess achievement levels as the pillar of reform.
　センター試験を巡っては、中央教育審議会で見直し論議が進んでいる。「達成度テスト」の創設を柱とする政府の教育再生実行会議の提言を受けたものだ。

The recommendations call for holding a basic test to measure basic achievement levels for high school students and establishing a development-level test to be utilized for general university exams. The panel also proposes allowing students to take each test more than once. The realization of these measures will significantly change the university entrance exam system.
　提言は、高校生の基礎学力の到達度を測る「基礎」レベルと、大学の一般入試で活用する「発展」レベルのテストを新設し、それぞれ複数回の受験を認めるよう求めている。これが実現すれば、大学入試は大きく様変わりする。

We believe students should be given more opportunities to take tests.
　挑戦する機会が増えるのは、受験生にとって望ましいことだ。

The question is how to deal with the selection of sub-subjects for the achievement level test. The many other issues to be studied include which organization will organize the test.
　一方で、達成度テストには、出題科目はどうするのか、試験の運営はどこが担うのかといった検討すべき課題が多い。

Reform of the university entrance exam system will have a great impact on examinees and educational institutions.
　入試改革は、受験生や教育現場に与える影響が極めて大きい。

Foremost, close examination is needed of the merits and demerits of the national center test before in-depth discussions are held.
　まずは、センター試験の功罪をしっかりと検証し、議論を尽くすことが肝要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 18, 2014)
（2014年1月18日01時27分 読売新聞）