Any Updates As To When PSLE T-Scores Will Be Scrapped?
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lee_yl:
For most parents, the equation is simple.
I don't think they feel stressed about PSLE and its aftermath. I think they feel stressed about their children's future life in Singapore as a whole. This one takes much more than making changes to PSLE or secondary school admission.pirate:
[quote=\"lee_yl\"]If there's only 1 or 2 parents who are highly stressed, then it is an individual parental issue. However, if the majority of the nation's school going children's parents feel stressed about the PSLE and its aftermath, then it is a systemic issue.
This is not an examination issue. This is an existential issue.
Good examination result = good schools = good future.[/quote]Ya - this pretty much sums up the root cause of the stress experienced by our parents (who in turn, pass the stress to their children).
And such exam-induced stress is not unique to Singapore; it's also prevalent elsewhere in the world, particularly asian countries like Japan, Korea, and especially, China: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36457453
[quote]More than nine million high school graduates are sitting China's national exams, the Gaokao.
Their result will determine which university they can attend, and therefore much of the rest of their future, so they are under huge pressure... [/quote]Unless there's a change in mindset (that good score = good school = good future), I think there's really nothing much one can do to alleviate such kind of stress.. Unless, of course, we abolish PSLE completely, since, as repeatedly asserted by our government, all school are good school and so, no need to choose..
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ChiefKiasu:
Quite the contrary, I think this does look at the root cause more than any suggestions so far. It is more long term, the stress levels will go down albeit after a few years after this is implemented.lee_yl:
That doesn't quite matter. What I know is that every new minister will try to leave his mark and he won't gain much credit by implementing his predecessor's policies. So we have \"Every school is a good school\", \"AL banding\" and .....
The new motto is now... \"Every Subject must be a Good Subject\"... :evil:
My disappointment with the new scheme is how it comes across as a knee-jerk, half-hearted approach to addressing parents' and students' stress. Just because someone high up says that parental stress is caused by the very fine-grain measurement of students' achievements, MOE has to respond by making it more coarse, which, ostensibly, would reduce parental stress. It is too little, it addresses the symptoms and not the root causes, and it introduces new uncertainties which lead to new kinds of stress.
What is the cause of stress -T score, difficulty level of subject, tough papers ?
Or the fact that the child/parent is worried that the good schools are too few, and the level of education/facilities/environment between schools ( real and perceived) is large between the different schools, and by not enrolling in the better ones , the child loses out in life?
I definitely think it is the last one is the major reason. That is why I dont think stress can be reduced no matter what we do with PSLE. As parents, some of us are experts at gaming the system. Even the laid back ones are forced to up their game in order not to be left behind. Stress can be reduced only by changing the allocation to schools in a reasonably meritocratic and non-discriminatory manner.
Uncertainty leads to stress , and this new system does introduce it, so yes there is added stress for parents, which will, of course, be passed on to children. This is going to be a little hard on the first few batches and then the stress levels will be more reasonable.
I honestly there is no easy way out of the current PSLE system, it is going to be hard to undo the damage it has caused as a side effect, so this new system will introduce a paradigm shift in our kiasu mindset and slowly move us away from this obsession. There maybe be kinks that need to be ironed out , but overall objective is what we really really need.
I would go on to say this is a brave change, perhaps even a tad foolish ,considering it is going to be unpopular. Because the most vocal of us are not going to be happy that we can do nothing to manipulate it beyond the basic. And we will not keep quite either.
Edited the last three paragraphs as the idea conveyed did not seem clear. -
lee_yl:
Horror of all horrors, what if after the next GE, there's a new Minister of Education who has other idea and decides to suspend the PSLE reforms before X takes her PSLE?
the next GE could probably be in 4 years' time. i am wondering if there would be a change in this new banding system since it has received more flak than praise so far. -
mum_sugoku:
Unless there's a change in mindset (that good score = good school = good future), I think there's really nothing much one can do to alleviate such kind of stress.. Unless, of course, we abolish PSLE completely, since, as repeatedly asserted by our government, all school are good school and so, no need to choose..
Ya - this pretty much sums up the root cause of the stress experienced by our parents (who in turn, pass the stress to their children).lee_yl:
For most parents, the equation is simple.
Good examination result = good schools = good future.
And such exam-induced stress is not unique to Singapore; it's also prevalent elsewhere in the world, particularly asian countries like Japan, Korea, and especially, China: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36457453
[quote]More than nine million high school graduates are sitting China's national exams, the Gaokao.
Their result will determine which university they can attend, and therefore much of the rest of their future, so they are under huge pressure...[/quote]So true.
But what makes it really bad for Singapore is that this is happening when the kids are 12 yrs old - when it is harder to distinguish the capabilities of children, and when parents can play a significant role in the child's performance . And that skews meritocracy. -
Sun_2010:
I would go on to say this is a brave change, perhaps even a tad foolish ,considering it is going to be unpopular. Because the most vocal of us are not going to be happy that we can do nothing to manipulate it beyond the basic. And we will not keep quite either.
Can always manipulate the DSA thingy. :imanangel: -
I wonder what MOE will do to help the underprivileged children…
Research elsewhere has shown that in the early schooling years, parental involvement is relatively more important than say, who your peers are. So, if that’s true in Singapore and the choice of school is more important with the change, and supposedly children from lower incomes and underprivileged households do not receive as much parental involvement as the higher income families, who is going to help these kids figure out their choices? Will children from a certain income stratum be left behind by the system? -
Our mindset is obviously still stuck in the competitive stage of relative performance and hence every point counts but that actually does not ensure that the kids are truly balanced and proficient in the basic foundation that is supposed to be developed in primary school education. If a child passes out of primary school with 3 strong subjects and 1 very weak one with high T-score, is that really proficiency?
In the new system, we look at proficiency of subjects so being fairly good in all is essential and one has to focus on being proficient and not worry what the neighbours are doing. In a way in sec school results is in bands hence most parents are also more relaxed from lower sec onwards. -
Blurryburger:
The children should consult the teachers for advice, whether parents are involved or not, as one of the views. During my time, majority of us were underprivileged and our parents were clueless and guess who come to our help? The teachers. I remember filling up my choices on my own with help from teachers.I wonder what MOE will do to help the underprivileged children...
Research elsewhere has shown that in the early schooling years, parental involvement is relatively more important than say, who your peers are. So, if that's true in Singapore and the choice of school is more important with the change, and supposedly children from lower incomes and underprivileged households do not receive as much parental involvement as the higher income families, who is going to help these kids figure out their choices? Will children from a certain income stratum be left behind by the system? -
sushi88:
Believe these days as opposed to the past, MOE is actively helping the underprivileged - free schoolbooks, uniforms; there are places/people offering free tuition also. All countries face the same issue, where parents are unconcerned or uninvolved, future generations will always suffer. Short of removing these kids from their parents (and that's bad), I really don't see how much more the govt can do.
The children should consult the teachers for advice, whether parents are involved or not, as one of the views. During my time, majority of us were underprivileged and our parents were clueless and guess who come to our help? The teachers. I remember filling up my choices on my own with help from teachers.Blurryburger:
I wonder what MOE will do to help the underprivileged children...
Research elsewhere has shown that in the early schooling years, parental involvement is relatively more important than say, who your peers are. So, if that's true in Singapore and the choice of school is more important with the change, and supposedly children from lower incomes and underprivileged households do not receive as much parental involvement as the higher income families, who is going to help these kids figure out their choices? Will children from a certain income stratum be left behind by the system?
Yes, same as sushi, my sec school first choice was recommended by my teacher - my parents and I had no clue that such a sec school existed (and it's a well known school with a super long history). -
Never met helpful teachers during my time leh. My dh did extremely well for his psle but he didn’t even know RI or HCI exist. That era no internet no ksp no information he picked the nearest secondary school
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