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

[caroline3sg]

[quote]so eventually all will get A* even those who are not so good in languages since it is pegged at different levels of language proficiency [/quote]
PSLE score would be lower for those easier/lower levels. It is a placement exam, where our kid stands relative to others.

So are parents / kids happy with A* but score is lower than those who get A or B at standard level?

[vlim]

caroline3sg:

[quote]so eventually all will get A* even those who are not so good in languages since it is pegged at different levels of language proficiency

PSLE score would be lower for those easier/lower levels. It is a placement exam, where our kid stands relative to others.

So are parents / kids happy with A* but score is lower than those who get A or B at standard level?[/quote]emm...auntie's brain cannot analyize such complicated thing... :lol:

[tankee]

3Boys:

\"另一方面，教育部长黄永宏在记者会上表示，自己在之前的媒体专访中谴词用字应该更小心，并为造成公众的错误印象而道歉\"


Oh my, what a shocking blunder.....

But the fault lines are all too clear to see, we've got some decades of nation building to go.

\"Wrong choice of words\" is a very good excuse.

[verykiasu2010]

vlim:

so if it takes 5 to 10 yrs to change, then is ok la..by then by youngest kid already in secondary school..heeeeeee

you are just jesting, i guess

think of the kids' next generation ..... no MT requirement ?

actually, for those whose kids are doing well in MT, they fear not. instead, they probably will gain more IF there is cut in weightage because they (the kids) who are truly bilingual will have more opportunities in life than those who are monolingual. OF COURSE parents / kids who are clamouring for weightage reduction would always insist no difference and their math sci eng will cover everything and nothing else is needed.

at least for me as an employer, monolingual is a handicap

just my personal opinion, observation, and experience

[vlim]

verykiasu2010:

[at least for me as an employer, monolingual is a handicap


just my personal opinion, observation, and experience

ya...I agree.... as some of my sub-contractor bills are written in Chinese........ :slapshead:

[sunflower]

HyperKiasu:

tamarind:

I know that Mr Ng must have regretted what he said about the weighting of Chinese, after so many complains from the public. But I did not expect him to apologize.

Next time may be he has to consult Mr Lee before saying anything

slip of Tongue....keke...
all the Tongue problem (mother tongue, slip of tongue)

:rotflmao: to the above and

:rahrah: to the final, most anticipated outcome!

[corneyAmber]

verykiasu2010:

two recent issues that MOE blundered : (1) sex ed by Aware; (2) MT weightage reduction. Anyway, Minister Ng apologised, but citizens need to be watchful lor

Actually I feel that it was good that they made some blunders then we get to discuss our wishlist with them formally or informally. If all things are so smooth-sailing, then everything will just be a top-down approach. So I see this imperfection as a good thing to encourage a constructive dialogue to be exchanged. Also from these incidents, we see that they care enough for the future leaders of our country to empathise and listen to parents' concerns.

Of course one thing I agree is that such blunders should be limited otherwise it would also put their governance in jeopardy.

[verykiasu2010]

ksi:

verykiasu2010:

two recent issues that MOE blundered : (1) sex ed by Aware; (2) MT weightage reduction. Anyway, Minister Ng apologised, but citizens need to be watchful lor

Actually I feel that it was good that they made some blunders then we get to discuss our wishlist with them formally or informally. If all things are so smooth-sailing, then everything will just be a top-down approach. So I see this imperfection as a good thing to encourage a constructive dialogue to be exchanged. Also from these incidents, we see that they care enough for the future leaders of our country to empathise and listen to parents' concerns.

Of course one thing I agree is that such blunders should be limited otherwise it would also put their governance in jeopardy.

and the internet age has made it instantaneous \"broadcast\" for any mistakes, less forgiving in terms of public perception & impression

[corneyAmber]

The English version of the report is still missing the big picture, which is why I said the Chinese version is clearer.


The apology by Dr Ng is not to be trivialized. It meant that there was really no such intention to diminish the emphasis of MT except that he used the wrong choice of words. Without that, from the English version, it could suggest that there might still be a hidden agenda. So I hope this issue is now put to rest and they work on the building blocks of mastering MT.

[verykiasu2010]

ksi:

The English version of the report is still missing the big picture, which is why I said the Chinese version is clearer.


The apology by Dr Ng is not to be trivialized. It meant that there was really no such intention to diminish the emphasis of MT except that he used the wrong choice of words. Without that, from the English version, it could suggest that there might still be a hidden agenda. So I hope this issue is now put to rest and they work on the building blocks of mastering MT.

May 11, 2010
GOVERNMENT ON MOTHER TONGUE
No lowering of weightage
By Clarissa Oon
THE weightage of the Mother Tongue in the Primary School Leaving Examination will not be lowered, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Education Minister Ng Eng Hen reassured Singaporeans opposed to the move.

Bilingualism remains as important as ever, but what will change is the way the mother tongue languages are taught and examined, they said on Tuesday morning, in response to the outpouring of views on the subject.

The underlying problem is that students today have such diverse backgrounds and aptitudes in Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, and reducing the Mother Tongue weighting is not the best way of resolving that, PM Lee said.

'I think this would send the wrong signal, that we are downgrading Mother Tongue. Certainly, it will not be efficient in helping the student to reach the level which we would like him to reach,' he explained in a press conference at the Istana.

Instead, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is exploring examination models, pegged to different levels of language proficiency, that 'give students progressive, successive achievable targets to aim for'.

This would be fair to both strong and weak students, he said, adding: 'The better students can go further and be awarded for their achievement. The weaker students can progress as far as their abilities will allow, reach a meaningful proficiency level and get appropriate credit for what they've accomplished.'

Dr Ng stressed that such an overhaul of mother tongue teaching and examination was a long term one, and would not affect the present batches of primary school students. Any revisions to the curriculum and the PSLE format would take place over the next five to 15 years, he said.

He also apologised for having earlier given the wrong impression that his ministry planned to reduce the weighting for mother tongues at the PSLE.


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