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

[money9090]

my first impression: WT…


unfair to those non-english speaking family, should cut english weighting.

same apply to those weak at Math, Science

[verykiasu2010]

tamarind:

watmekiasu:

As a parent, it doesn't make any difference to me the weightage of Chinese in an exam. My daughter is learning Chinese for the language itself. No doubt with less weightage, there will be less stress on her as she spends an inordinate amount of time (70%) on that one subject alone. With less weightage, she can learn it at a more leisurely and enjoyable pace. I believe in the long run, because Chinese was not such a torture, it will bear fruits.


The PRC do well in English here because there is a total English immersion here. Try sending your child to China and you will see their Mandarin improve heaps.

I totally agree with you too. I want my kids to enjoy learning Chinese, because of the wonderful language and culture. I don't understand why parents say that learning Chinese is a torture. Both my kids are very happy reading our wonderful Chinese picture books every night. Parents only have to make an effort to expose their kids to Chinese books from as young as possible. The best age to learn Chinese is from 3 to 6 years old. It is sad that because parents have prejudice towards the Chinese language, they influence their kids in a negative way.

One billion people in China are able to learn Chinese. It is totally not logical to say that there are kids who are excellent in English and Maths, but do not have the ability to do well in Chinese. The only problem is that the parents started to let them learn Chinese too late.

don't think that it is easy for the people in PRC to learn and teach chinese language too, they have at least 56 major language groups & tribes ....and if you notice their money, the Rmb, at least has 4 languages printed on it ......

we are just taking the easy way out

[goldenretriever]

Frankly speaking, I think that nowadays the Chinese is tougher compared to my times. Just look at their comprehension/cloze passages, and the type of phrases that the teachers expect to see in the student’s compo. Even when you look at the composition guidebooks, they are filled with bombastic phrases, which I think is definitely beyond the kids ability. Lowering the weightage maybe a good thing cos MOE got to be realistic about the fact that most kids come from English-speaking family background. As a Chinese, I have always stressed to my kids that they must know how to read, write and speak Chinese fluently. However, the local environment says otherwise when almost every subject is taught in English.

[verykiasu2010]

money9090:

my first impression: WT...


unfair to those non-english speaking family, should cut english weighting.

same apply to those weak at Math, Science

yah men, if they want to cut chn weighting, then must cut weighting for math / science / engl too....certain races always being mentioned weaker in math, and certain people group always weaker in engl, and many students are weak in science too .... lower the standard overall lar, or make the marking scheme easier la...make 50% of the cohort each get 4 A* la.....then i can tell you, the secondary school will set their own entrance exams.....isn't some of them already doing so via DSA ?

[tamarind]

I have been reading these books, written by 2 mommies in China :


好妈妈胜过好老师
尹建莉　
http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=20464285&ref=order-2-A

四五快读
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2009/12/teaching-chinese-at-home.html

The first author taught her daughter to be able to read long Chinese novels by 8 years old. She said that her daughter is by no means gifted, all she did was to read many Chinese story books with her. The second author taught her daughter to read thick Chinese books before the age of 5. It didn't take a lot of effort, and both girls enjoyed learning very much. All it takes are effective methods, and start very young. Both mommies taught their daughters to read without hanyu pinyin.

I have often heard of exceptionally bright kids in Singapore who are able to read long English novels by 5 years old. These same kids can be taught to read long Chinese novels by the same age too, if only parents make an effort to read Chinese story books to them.

[Busymom]

Pen88n:

Learning languages should be a positive experience for kids to love and appreciate the language. Based on Singapore's Chinese standard, it is not that high and by lowering it further, I dread to think what will the Chinese learning in Singapore education becomes.


If it is just because Chinese is not a compulsory in points computation in secondary as mentioned in the papers, shouldn't the same apply to Maths and Science? No subject is compulsory in secondary points except English, I think. Why the biasness towards Chinese only? Just because some kids and parents complain about Chinese being difficult to learn? what about Maths - didn't enough parents and kids complain about the high maths standard in PSLE and is MOE doing anything about it?

:goodpost:

Can't agree more with you.

What about kids who are strong in MT, Maths and Science but weak in EL? Wouldn't it be unfair too if they can't get into top schools because of that?

[Busymom]

verykiasu2010:

Blobbi:

Sorry I'm not very with it - the ST put the Chinese weighting at 25%. Is this correct? I thought it was higher, like English.

all these while the weightage has been equal at 25% for each subject

therefore each subject accounts for max 75 of the total T-score of 300

In fact, English and Chinese used to be double weightage compared to Maths and Science. I thought this was still the case until I read the papers yesterday.

[verykiasu2010]

Busymom:

verykiasu2010:

[quote=\"Blobbi\"]Sorry I'm not very with it - the ST put the Chinese weighting at 25%. Is this correct? I thought it was higher, like English.

all these while the weightage has been equal at 25% for each subject

therefore each subject accounts for max 75 of the total T-score of 300

In fact, English and Chinese used to be double weightage compared to Maths and Science. I thought this was still the case until I read the papers yesterday.[/quote]MOE maintains that all along the subjects are of equal weightage, and the primary school principals also said the same thing at every P5/P6 briefing - equal weightage

(I know, even some tuition centres - mind u - tuition centres - also have the wrong idea : shouldn't they be the most updated if they want to make a living from this trade ?)

[corneyAmber]

My opinion is that if they cut something, they must increase in another area, right? In the end, it will come back to square one. It will be a vicious circle. One is weak in MT, okay, we cut that to accommodate you. You weak in EL, MA and SC, okay, we cut that too, in the end, might as well not have the PSLE! :roll:

[lego]

I find it very ironical that in the parliamentary reply dated 11 Jan, the reply is that 82% of pupils scored A and A* for CL in the PSLE exam. A further 11% scored B for it. (which means 93% of the pupils obatined either an A or B). http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/parliamentary-replies/2010/01/chinese-language-psle-results.php

If that is the case, why is there a need to further reduce the weightage of CL in PSLE. As it is, there is already the Foundation Level (PSLE), B syallbus (O and A level) for those who have difficulty coping with the language and even total exemption for those who qualify.

I agree that the children have to spend a lot of time on learning the subject, dd included. What we need is to make the language more alive, place more emphasis on listening and speaking and further cut down the writing component, so that it won't be such a chore and hopefully children can learn to appreciate it and USE it and not treat it as just another academic subject.

Thank you, Tamarind for the link to MOE. Will submit my views via the link.