In his National Day Rally speech last night, Singapore’s Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong say that changes is coming for the Primary School
Leaving Examinations (PSLE). During his speech, the PM says that the PSLE
changes will make it more open, holistic and less over-competitive as it has
become excessively competitive and it is causing huge stress to young students
and their parents.
I have a better suggestion. Get rid of the PLSE altogether!
As I have said many times before, I am totally against the
PLSE. In Singapore, children take the PSLE at 12 and this test will basically
dictate the rest of their lives. The average age of a Singapore is 77! There is
just no need for Singapore to start sorting out children at 12. To me, the PSLE
is a system that makes no sense when you compare it to how long a Singaporean
is expected to live and the number of years students need to be in school.
Children are being sorted way too early in Singapore and
while I welcome the idea of lowering the importance of the PSLE, I don’t think
it goes far enough. Singapore should just get rid of it altogether!
4 comments:
Ghost
If you get rid of PSLE, the ocmpetition for good schools at primary school will be even worse due to 3K syndrome here.
At least PSLE allows a chance later.
I disagree with this silly notion that entering "good" primary school is all-important for a child's studies. I know of a person who entered NTU coming from a "bad" school and had seen students from "good" schools who can't be bother to study. For god sake, it's Primary school. Kids at 7 years old are not going to decide their future based on what school they enter. If they do, then something is truly wrong with the system.
Ghost
I deal with the realities of the culture and wholly support those who come from whichever school.
The problem remains which is if PSLE and O levels are scrapped, people will complain as their precious kids will not be given the chance to üpgrade"
So far, there's no word yet on O-level. Frankly, I'm not against the O-level. At 16-17, teenagers should have decided on their lives already. Kids at 12 however are totally different.
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