New NJASK Question Tests More Than Childrens’ Skills [POLL]

You send your kids off to school each day trusting the system to teach them what they need to know to become intelligent, productive adults.

What if somewhere along the way though, that system started asking weird -- possibly inappropriate -- questions under the guise of 'testing'?

That's just what happened with a recent test of third graders in Marlboro.

The New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) exam is meant to test third through eighth-graders on their proficiency in math and language arts.

Earlier this week some students received a 'field-test question' asking to tell a secret they had and why it's hard to keep. The question would not be counted towards grading.

Um, what?

There are so many things wrong with this situation I don't even know where to begin.

First of all, if a student is in the middle of a standardized test, they need to focus on the test, not the emotional/social/health/etc. issues they might be otherwise facing.

Next, say there was a reportable issue, like abuse, the student decided to reveal during said test. Is the school then required or responsible for reporting it?

There are issues of safety, psychology, and PRIVACY at stake here. Should parents now have to wonder what is being asked of their young children on every test?? Should parents get a copy of the test beforehand? Do you see the can of worms this opens?

Parents, does this type of question bother you? Were your kids asked it? Share your comments below!