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Testing non-students



Finally, there is an initiative in Washington State to require anyone
running for public office to take the WASL test given to all 10th graders now.

The most interesting testing program for public officials I've heard about
was in the presidential election in Kyrgyzstan a few years ago. During the
Soviet years, when Russian was the only official language, the Kyrgyz
language (and culture) had almost disappeared, but after independence it
returned with a vengeance. It was decided a few years after independence
that presidential candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of Kyrgyz in
a test administered by their equivalent of the French Academy. The
incumbent barely passed, but his chief opponent failed and was removed from
the ballot, as were some other contenders.

I wonder how George . . . oh, never mind.


Laurent Hodges, Professor of Physics
12 Physics Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3160
lhodges@iastate.edu http://www.public.iastate.edu/~lhodges