Any Updates As To When PSLE T-Scores Will Be Scrapped?

[galaxyraider]

grimm:

Actually given that given that many more students are struggling with Chinese these days, I'm surprised there isn't a lot of lobbying to make mother tongue optional for PSLE, especially with the new scoring system.


Perhaps too much of a sacred cow, I suppose.

lee_yl:

[quote=\"phtthp\"]Under T-score :
If a P6 student's Chinese is weak, still can depend on English / Maths/ Science, to pull up the weak score for Chinese.


But, under AL :
Chinese stands on its own.
The other 3 subjects' scores can't pull up weak Chinese anymore.

In this case,

1).Chinese tuition/enrichment centres business will set to boom.

2).More will seek to be exempted from Chinese.

[/quote]I completely agree that MT should be excluded from PSLE. It can still be used for SAP school, but it should not penalize those who are only good in the other 3 subjects.

[janet88]

MT is tough, especially when many of us speak English at home.


MT as a language to be tested is harder…理解，短文填空，作文，口试.
English is used for 3 subjects, but Chinese is for one subject which can pull down the overall grade. It’s hard for our potato kids to master this language. After close to 10 years of education, my son is still struggling with MT and he is taking O levels this year. I can only hope he passes the subject so that he can put it aside and focus on the others.

[TWU]

Our present education system consists of GEP, IP, Express, N(A), N(T) as MOE recognizes that children have varying abilities, it’s not a sound practice to give every child the same education and to expect him/her to move at the same pace as his/her peers.


Some strongly believe that the best results=the best school=the brightest future.

Every child is unique, we should not overemphasize about academic results, good character building is equally important.

What does "the best results" mean? It means children memorize those model answers prepared by educators prior tests/examinations then use these model answers to answer questions during tests/examinations in order to obtain the highest scores. Such reproduction process doesn’t encourage/allow any innovative ideas and no actual problem solving skill is involved.

Children will be unable to face challenges in the long run as they are too used to model answers, lack of creativeness and problem solving skill.

We should nurture our children to have the following which are very important:
(a) an ability to respond skilfully about own emotions and emotions of others in order to act appropriately (EQ)
(b) an ability to withstand adversity as well as to surmount it (AQ)
an ability to generate innovative ideas (CQ)
(d) an ability to solve problems
(e) an ability to work in a group
(f) good attitude

We have to recognize the efforts that children have put-in instead of focusing only academic results. Otherwise, children will have lost their self-worth.

[zulu]

phtthp:

ngl2010:

This is scary if the scenario mentioned happens.


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=87269

shocking !
esp. for weak students

in the author's example, there are two weak students : X and Y
weak because : they are hovering riskily, around the low AL band, at AL5 and AL6.


AL5 : ranges from 65 to 74 marks, and
AL6 : ranges from 45 to 64


example

student X : scored 64 marks, in each of his 4 core subjects
Total Raw score = 64 x 4 = 256

per subject : fall into AL6
hence, Total AL = 6 x 4 subjects ==> AL 24

with AL 24 :
X can only qualify for Normal (Academic) stream.


in contrast, How about student Y ?
student Y : scored 45 marks in 2 subjects, plus 65 in another 2 subjects
Total Raw score = (45 x 2) + (65 x 2) = 90 + 130 = 220

2 subjects, for Y : fall into AL5
another 2 subjects : fall into AL6
hence, Total AL for Y = (5 x2) + (6 x 2) = 10 + 12 ==> AL 22

with AL 22 :
Y qualify to opt, for either Express or Normal stream.
Y can then opt, for the Express stream.


But, Who actually performed better ?
X (at 256), or Y (at 220), for Total Raw score ?

Under the new PSLE AL Banding system :
it means that X who scored 256 marks in four subjects would enter or get channeled into the Normal (Academic) stream.
In contrast, Y who scored lower 220 marks, (256 - 220 = 36 marks), much lower than X, would qualify for the Express stream.
This outcome is unfair to the one, who did much better.
:?

deleted

Edit: I think I finally understand what the author is getting at......

[Hope21]

Currently,more than 70% score A/A* in Chinese under the old system. So most able to score between AL1 to AL4 for Chinese.

For the other 3 subjects,national quality passes(A/A*) are usually around 40+%.

[sushi88]

pirate:

various people:

As a kiasuparent...

As such a kiasuparent, I am afraid nothing can be done to reduce the child's stress. The child will just have to blame his or her bad luck. :razz:

I agree... :rotflmao:

[janet88]

I wonder how Mr Ng worked out this new grading system.

[mum_sugoku]

pirate:

mum_sugoku:

To resolve this issue, how about lowering the requirement for AL1, from requiring a score of 90+ to, say, 75+ (ie AL1 for 75 and above, AL2 for 70-74, so on and so forth), just for MTL only?

So for those who are strong in MTL and weak in, say maths, can reduce the AL1 requirement for maths to 75+ etc, just for maths only?

Just wondering how is a suggestion like this even fair to other children who are wired differently from those who are weak in MTL? Sounds like nothing more than \"make the subjects my kid is strong at count for more, and the subject my kid is weak at count for less\". :roll:

When I made such a suggestion, I was looking at the issue from a different angle, completely overlooking the issue of fairness.

My consideration is, under the new system, the likelihood of AL score being (drastically) dragged down by Chinese will get very much higher, causing more and more (kiasu) parents/students to resent the subject and wish it excluded from AL score. We'll then see more and more parents petition for the exclusion. Ultimately, it could get so overwhelming that government just yield to the pressure (in order not to lose votes :evil: ). If that happens, students will pay less attention to the subject, causing the (already lousy) standard of Chinese to deteriorate further.

But if you just lower the bar, the resentment will not be that great, so less chance of parents wanting it excluded, less chance of government yielding, students still need to pay attention to Chinese to do well for decent score, win win, right?

[sushi88]

The bigger stress of parents come from:


1. Not able to get the kids to be consistent in their performance (yo-yo in attitude)
2. Kids who always perform borderline to the stellar level (so near and yet so far..just missing that extra bit..so frustrate the parents)
3. Non-motivated kids due to either immaturity, life-is-too-good-to try-hard, lack of interest.
4. Not recognizing a kid has other talent precious other than academic (which is not the strength)
that can be developed. Primary school education is basic so at least must pass.
5. Kid has no other talent and no talent in studies (this case seemed the worst but every kid has some form of talent, just gotta look hard enough)

Can a change in the PSLE system change any of these?

A system is dead once set....the kids are alive.

The way I see the new system can reduce stress is the \"face factor\" and mind you, this is an important factor for stress relief in our competitive society.

Under the neck-to-neck ranking system, it is starkly obvious when a child does not get into a \"good enough\" school...people will directly attribute it to results, like it or not.

In the new system, if a child is in any school, it is attributed to choice. Even if one does not get into their choiced school, parents can say \"sway lor...kenna balloted out\"... So stress is reduced right?

[grimm]

mum_sugoku:

pirate:

[quote=\"mum_sugoku\"]To resolve this issue, how about lowering the requirement for AL1, from requiring a score of 90+ to, say, 75+ (ie AL1 for 75 and above, AL2 for 70-74, so on and so forth), just for MTL only?

So for those who are strong in MTL and weak in, say maths, can reduce the AL1 requirement for maths to 75+ etc, just for maths only?

Just wondering how is a suggestion like this even fair to other children who are wired differently from those who are weak in MTL? Sounds like nothing more than \"make the subjects my kid is strong at count for more, and the subject my kid is weak at count for less\". :roll:

When I made such a suggestion, I was looking at the issue from a different angle, completely overlooking the issue of fairness.

My consideration is, under the new system, the likelihood of AL score being (drastically) dragged down by Chinese will get very much higher, causing more and more (kiasu) parents/students to resent the subject and wish it excluded from AL score. We'll then see more and more parents petition for the exclusion. Ultimately, it could get so overwhelming that government just yield to the pressure (in order not to lose votes :evil: ). If that happens, students will pay less attention to the subject, causing the (already lousy) standard of Chinese to deteriorate further.

But if you just lower the bar, the resentment will not be that great, so less chance of parents wanting it excluded, less chance of government yielding, students still need to pay attention to Chinese to do well for decent score, win win, right?[/quote]Don't worry, at the moment they will probably lose more votes if they exclude Chinese as the conservatives / traditionalists will be fuming. Maybe another generation later we will have a shot say removing it completely.