Change the exams? You mean, ask asians questions to which they haven’t memorized the answer? That’s not fair.
Memorizing answers is also known as studying. Multiplication tables, using slide rules, log tables - all require memorization, personal sacrifice and sheer grit. No one's born with the knowledge of the major players at the Battle of Hastings, the various types of geologic formations, and so on. It has to be read repeatedly and committed to memory. In work settings, employers don't have time for "I'll get back to you, in a while". It's "give me what you've got, now - or find another job". This preparedness and hard core commitment to getting the job done is why the Orient has been charging ahead despite not having been particularly blessed with natural resources.
Oh. Could you, be assuaged, by bitter choices, you made in the heat of hating yourself? If, only by knowing- you just did not study— much less have a good idea?
It’s hard to know hat you’re getting at.
My prediction: that might reduce the gap between Asians and whites (who aren't so hard-core on the memorization stuff), but it would leave the other groups even further in the dust, thus thwarting DeBlasiyoyo's objective.
Who cares if the Asian kids study more to qualify for the exam schools? (And if you think that’s the only reason they’re disproportionately represented, you’re kidding yourself.)
The point of the schools is to allow the most advanced students to study in more rigorous environments than general public school classrooms—which the exams are very effective in enabling.
Affirmative action admissions will undo that and require the exam schools to hold the top students back with watered down classes—which defeats the purpose of having exam schools to start with.
???? Those who study and apply themselves will do well on the exams. I would hazard that changing the exams will result in very similar results.
Assuming that the Asians had a leg up because of the exams that already exist is more an example of the kind of thinking that makes a level playing field unfair...