MP echoes calls for PSLE to be scrapped

[BuiKia]

I dun like the way that this will go. Somehow, I have a feeling that those rich and powerful will end up in the same school if there is nothing tangible to determine who is better.

SINGAPORE - As the "national conversation" gets underway, education - an issue close to many Singaporeans' hearts - has quickly emerged as a hot topic. And the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), for so long a rite of passage for children here, has come under the spotlight again, as a Member of Parliament renewed calls for it to be scrapped.

"I am all for slaying the PSLE sacred cow. But we need to first agree on an alternative way of deciding who goes to which secondary school, other than by way of a common exam," Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Hri Kumar wrote on his blog last Friday.

Mr Hri Kumar, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Education, lauded the Ministry of Education's announcements last week to "remove banding, de-emphasise exams and promote non-academic aspects of a child's development", as he put it. But he pointed out that, "so long as a child's PSLE scores determines which secondary school he goes to, and so long as places in 'better' schools are limited", competition and stress are inevitable and parents will also "do what they can to help their kids out-score their peers". "To most, that means tuition," he added.

In May, sociologist and former Nominated MP Paulin Straughan also called for PSLE to be abolished, as a way to reduce stress and encourage young couples to have more children.

Contacted yesterday, Assoc Prof Straughan felt MOE's latest moves provided cold comfort. She reiterated that "there will always be an informal ranking of schools" based on the PSLE cut-off points for entry to the various secondary schools.

Other observers and educators TODAY spoke to were divided on whether the PSLE should stay.

Mrs Jenny Yeo, Principal of Southview Primary School, noted that the exam is "some form of assessment" to pit the educational standards of children here against their peers in other countries. She added that, in general, the situation here should not become one where children are "very relaxed about learning" and "just play all the way to Primary 6".

Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan, who chairs the GPC for Education, reiterated the PSLE's purpose as a placement exam. "No matter how you see it, you cannot run away from the fact that students have differing abilities," said Mr Lim.

Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Low Yen Ling felt the format of the PSLE could be tweaked. For example, 35 per cent of the PSLE could be weighted to regular national assessments at Primary 5 and Primary 6, she said.

She also suggested looking into how non-academic aspects could also be assessed as part of the PSLE score. For example, marks for participation could be given for activities related to national education or community service, she said.

Ms Low also noted that in Finland and New Zealand for instance, children undergo their first major national examination at the age of 16. This allows children the time to develop their interests and a level of maturity so that they can be self-driven in their studies, she said.

Laying out the various possibilities - including "making all secondary schools identical" or giving parents the choice to opt their children out of PSLE - Mr Hri Kumar noted on his blog that "different solutions lend themselves to different issues".

He said: "We can have more "through-train" schools, where students gain entry to affiliated secondary schools without a common exam. Those who wish to compete for a place in the 'better' secondary schools can sit for the PSLE. We could also allow private, independent primary schools to be set up, with graduates eligible to go to private or international secondary schools. But there will be no MOE funding and therefore higher fees, and this option may not be available to all."

He added while it was unlikely to have "absolute consensus", he would "prefer a system that gives parents more choices".

Mr Hri Kumar said that as part of the national conversation, the Government "should think about loosening its grip on education so that Singaporeans can choose for themselves what they want for their own children".

Concurring, Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng said it was "timely" to review the policy of not allowing parents to enrol their children in non-government schools, "even though some parents are more educated and may wanted to make their own choices". The Government could explore opening up a small market segment for private players to provide more options for parents, said Mr Baey.

 

[erection2015]

i see your point.....but the plus side is that clinton and a few other guys here will finally be able to progress to sec school.....finally.

I dun like the way that this will go. Somehow, I have a feeling that those rich and powerful will end up in the same school if there is nothing tangible to determine who is better.

 

[Agoraphobic]

Kids shouldn't be subjected to examinations until they're 18 years old - college entrance exams if they choose to go.

Cheers!

 

[po2wq]

...

In May, sociologist and former Nominated MP Paulin Straughan also called for PSLE to be abolished, as a way to reduce stress and encourage young couples to have more children.

...

walan eh! ... wtf is tis? ...

abolish psle so dat young couples wil haf mor children! ...

nowadays, ppl r getting married n haf children b4 taking psle ...


on ze other hand, tink he's referring particularly 2 ah clinton666 ...

 

[Clone]

i see your point.....but the plus side is that clinton and a few other guys here will finally be able to progress to sec school.....finally.

Who are the perennial under-achievers besides ah clinton? :(

 

[Reddog]

Who are the perennial under-achievers besides ah clinton? :(

... the other twit is kinana.

 

[streetsmart73]

Who are the perennial under-achievers besides ah clinton? :(

hi there


1. i second kinana to be in some cohort!

 

[sta1100]

Now day kid got no life, PSLE exam mid year exam CC, all this for FXXK, and those school you look at most of them have banner outside indicating how best they are doing, are we comparing to SAF yearly they have best combat, Best inf, Best air force unit etc etc. They goes to sch at 630am and finish 415pm since MOE love the kids to stay back in sch why not have them stay in sch full day Mon-Fri only go back home weekend. Than the sch will have more time for the kids to Study and more study.
Kids are kids smart or average still need time for play not HW HW and more HW. Even on weekend holiday more tuitions.

 

[YanDao]

Failure is part of life. Sinkie should get used to it. Most important is learning how to cope with failure and move on.

Kids shouldn't be subjected to examinations until they're 18 years old - college entrance exams if they choose to go.

Cheers!

 

[streetsmart73]

hi there


1. aiyoh!
2. sheep are just useless sheep.
3. it just does not add up leh.
4. tying couples married, bonking & having kids with scrapping the psle thing.
5. no eye see!

 

[loneshark]

Mrs Jenny Yeo, Principal of Southview Primary School, noted that the exam is "some form of assessment" to pit the educational standards of children here against their peers in other countries. She added that, in general, the situation here should not become one where children are "very relaxed about learning" and "just play all the way to Primary 6".

What is wrong with young children playing? They learn through play and exploring the environment
In US, they have standardised testing like MAP and SAT to "pit the educational standards of children here against their peers". But none of them are too stressful or consequential.

 

[YanDao]

Looking at the kind of youth in US, you think it is a good idea to follow their style?

What is wrong with young children playing? They learn through play and exploring the environment
In US, they have standardised testing like MAP and SAT to "pit the educational standards of children here against their peers". But none of them are too stressful or consequential.

 

[Raiders]

It came 20 years too late for me. If they had scrapped it then, I would have at least an "O" level certificate now :(

 

[loneshark]

Looking at the kind of youth in US, you think it is a good idea to follow their style?

Noone will be so stupid to copy wholesale. Take what is suitable.

 

[laksaboy]

In May, sociologist and former Nominated MP Paulin Straughan also called for PSLE to be abolished, as a way to reduce stress and encourage young couples to have more children.

Pauline Straughan? That twat has a feminist agenda but she has masterfully disguised herself as an academic/sociologist.

More daycare services, more work-life balance and flexi-hours (for women of course) won't work.

The truth is that the population pyramids of all advanced countries are shaped like a tower. In less advanced countries, people are hedging their bets by making more babies because infant mortality rate is high and adults don't live as long due to poor healthcare.

In advanced societies, you no longer need a lot of kids to help out at your farm. There are also other factors: birth control for both sexes, educated women preferring to party/work instead of making babies, more people seeing sex as recreation rather than a rite of procreation etc.

7 billion people. The world is already overpopulated. Just because the PAP govt wants a new generation of taxpayer/wage slaves doesn't mean you should give it to them.

 

[Kinana]

Doing away with PSLE is a stupid idea.

 

[hawker]

Then how to allocate sec sch?

If it is based on proximity and end up all the hdb/pte houses prices near good sec schools will be

 

[johnny333]

Looking at the kind of youth in US, you think it is a good idea to follow their style?

Whenever the results are announced you usually have some foreigner students among the top achievers.
If the Spore system is so good, why then are Sporeans having problems competing with these foreign talent from the 3rd world

 

[Agoraphobic]

Failure is part of life. Sinkie should get used to it. Most important is learning how to cope with failure and move on.

Play should be a part of a child's life. Most important aspect of life is social interation. I am not referring to just Sinkie kids, but kids in general. Why should a Sinkie kid be different from any other kid? Exams?

Cheers!

 

[Agoraphobic]

Doing away with PSLE is a stupid idea.

Why?

Cheers!