[PSLE MT] PSLE less weightage in Chinese / Mother Tongue

[cascada]

This suggested change in policy seems to me like \"reward the weak (in chinese), punish the good (in chinese)\".


Is it also suggesting that if one is weak in Science & Maths but strong in languages, then the result will be 'jia lat'? :?

[tankee]

daisyt:

I don't agree with lowering down the weightage of Chinese. It is unfair for Chinese as a subject itself. Kids are still kids. They would not put in effort if it is of lower weightage or no exam because they would feel, it is not important. .....

likewise for some parents.

[mrschan]

One of the reasons given is pupils who are strong in math and science but weak in Chinese are not getting into the tops schools. I don’t buy that reasoning. Shouldn’t the top schools have students with all-rounded in all sunjects? Afterall, in o levels, the top students will have 8 or 9 distinctions ranging from science to humanities to languages so why should the PSLE results be considered differently?


If a child excels in math and science, there are other options available such as NUS High or the school for sc and tech? But what about kids who are strong in languages? There’s no special school for them apart from being able to take up a 3rd language. So this new policy penalises this group of children which includes many local kids as well.

[daisyt]

mrschan:

One of the reasons given is pupils who are strong in math and science but weak in Chinese are not getting into the tops schools. I don't buy that reasoning. Shouldn't the top schools have students with all-rounded in all sunjects? Afterall, in o levels, the top students will have 8 or 9 distinctions ranging from science to humanities to languages so why should the PSLE results be considered differently?


If a child excels in math and science, there are other options available such as NUS High or the school for sc and tech? But what about kids who are strong in languages? There's no special school for them apart from being able to take up a 3rd language. So this new policy penalises this group of children which includes many local kids as well.

mrschan, Well said!!

[tamarind]

daisyt:

Recently, she just told me, her class would doze off in certain subjects but never in Chinese lesson because Chinese lesson is always so interesting. I feel, this is a great achievement by the Chinese teacher.
:love:

My daughter also told me that she enjoys her Chinese lesson more than English and Maths. It is very important that the Chinese teacher knows the correct methods of teaching the language, and knows how to develop interest, rather than simply following the textbook. The primary school Chinese textbooks are very bad. Kids who do not have a good foundation in Chinese before entering primary school, will not be able to learn well from these textbooks.

MOE should focus on understanding what are the correct and effective methods of learning Chinese, rather than trying to lower the weightage of Chinese.

The best way to build a strong foundation in Chinese, is simply to read as many Chinese books as possible from a very young age. Many mommies have been reading English books to their kids since they were babies. If they have read the same amount of Chinese books to their kids, pointing to every word as they read, the kids will be equally good in Chinese too.

As for those people who keep complaining that Chinese is difficult, or that their brains are not hardwired to learn Chinese, they can always drop Chinese, like one parent wrote earlier.

I think that one way is to stop using the combined aggregate score as a cut off point for entering the top schools. Students will be given their exact scores in each subject. Schools can pick the type of students that they want, for example, some schools may take those who are very good in English and Maths, and ignore Chinese. Other schools may take those who are very good in languages, and ignore Maths. Something like the admission to the different courses in polytechnics. Chinese is not required for most courses, and maths is not important for some courses.

[Pen88n]

I agree with most view that lowering Chinese weightage is not a solution, but rather should make the Chinese lesson interesting. I support this view, contrary to the fact that my son’s Chinese is not good.


My son is one of those who dozes off during Chinese lessons in school, and his Chinese result has been diving. Thankfully, I send him to an enrichment class, and the teacher is great. She manages to kinder his interest and he shows improvement over time. His school Chinese teacher is still occasionally complaining that he is unfocused, inattentive in class, but comparatively, his Chinese result is above average in class now.

It is important that we adopt the right approach and attitude towards learning languages, and not just have education policies that changes for the sake of pleasing people

[BusyB]

I thot there was a time with the govt pushes for "Bilingualism" - being fluent in both English and Chinese is Singapore’s strength in having a play in both the West and East.


Now, this talk about lowering the weightage of Chinese, doesn’t it undermines this bilingualism push?

My friend from India was commenting that he didn’t quite understand the fuss of learning Chinese. In India, they have the national Indian language of Hindi. In addition, they also have other languages used at other parts of India (just like our Chinese dialects) and most of them are fluent in 1 or more of these as well. No one objected to learning both English and Hindi and …So, what is the issue of learning 2 languages?

[MMM]

I just don’t understand. If we can do it during our era, why can’t our kids do it now??? I recalled how i struggled with EL for so many years of my life.


It has been "proven" that if the kids are expose/ given help to learning CL early eg during pre-school, their chance of success of doing well in the language is high. This also applies to 100% EL speaking family.

I’ve a filippino friend who just put her dd in a Spore primary school for P1 and doing CL. She has been educated in Philippines all this while. Guess what… she was nominated to perform CL recitation for her class and she won.

[daisyt]

phankao:

I don't want that to happen, bc my p5 boy is better in chinese! And he is not even in that \"certain group of non-singaporean\" nor \"singaporean import\". He's a true-blooded singaporean, born here, and to an English-speaking family background.

My dd too. Truely Singaporean, English speaking at home, like chinese, good (i wont say excellent) in both eng & chinese. I give credits to her school teachers. It also takes quite a bit fair of effort from hubby, my mum and me throughout these years to cultivate her interest in chinese. I am sure all other family can achieve that too.

[verykiasu2010]

need to combine some effort to present our views to the MOE on Chn ? I know some will shoot me down now …lol