Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary

[janet88]

Science textbooks do not teach students how to answer…neither do teachers, yet students must know.


Take the example of Maglev train in Interaction (magnets)…it doesn’t appear in the textbook but in newer Science publications from SAP, it is common.

E3,
I bought the ‘Jazz up your writing’ you recommended. It’s helpful, thanks.

[dyh]

janet_lee88:

Mummy58:

Why mark P3 paper by PSLE standard?

I AM the parent of a Primary 3 pupil in Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School and I question the practice of using Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) standard to grade the Primary 3 Higher Chinese examination paper.

When my daughter came home with her Higher Chinese Paper 2 answer paper on Monday, she was distraught. I found out she did not do well, scoring 39 out of 50. After I went through her paper, I discovered that there were actually three questions which deserved to be marked correct. I queried the school about this and the head of department called to explain that they were marked based on the PSLE scheme of marking.

My daughter was penalised for writing in an informal tone for her sentence construction question. The other issue was in her comprehension; she got the first part of a two-part question correct, but did not pick the exact portion of the passage to substantiate her answer, and was penalised for it.

The school's practice of preparing pupils for the PSLE early is commendable, but it should be a gradual introduction of standards. Such disheartening results in the name of following the PSLE marking scheme is counter-productive.

I have a colleague whose daughter is in another school. According to my colleague, her dd's school is also practising marking paper by PSLE standard (her dd is P3 this year). I think it is better to mark exam papers according to PSLE standards. Not only it will be an “across the board” practice for all teachers and more importantly, both the kids and their parents will know where they stand. Eventually, the kids have to sit for psle exam. Frankly speaking, I prefer it to be this way.

I agree with you it's very disheartening to see marks being refused by teachers...hubby found it hard to accept. We thought he could at least get a mark since he chose the correct option, but his teacher said no, bcos it is part of the question...as long as he did not make any comparisons, he is not entitled...then she added, 'PSLE standard'. What can we say ? Nothing.

I give one classic example. In SA1 for P1 this year, they have a comprehension question which asked something like \"how do they feel?\"

my son wrote \"they feel happy\" and was marked wrong (not even half a mark gievn) because the teacher said correct answer is \"they are happy\".

To be honest i still have a hard time accepting this. if i sat for the exam, I would have got it wrong myself, not to mention P1 kid. :lol:

[dyh]

Jennifer:

INNOVATE:

For HMT, 39/50 isn't bad at all even at P3 level.

I thought so too. Esp for this SA2 paper 2. The 2 types of OE compreh has each a \"What will u do/What do u think\" qns which I personally feel is kinda of tough for a P3 to word out his/her thoughts.

I guess the parent who wrote must have her/his kid in CH3. Very competitive one...

[janet88]

Hi dyh,

It’s very hard to accept, esp for a P1 child…how would he/she possibly understand ? To a child, being happy is a ‘feeling’…so the answer ‘they feel happy’ is how he feels…children are simple and innocent.

How can a teacher possibly expect a child in lower primary to be precise ? Thought the ‘PSLE standard of marking’ applies to P3 onwards ?

[dyh]

janet_lee88:

Hi dyh,

It's very hard to accept, esp for a P1 child...how would he/she possibly understand ? To a child, being happy is a 'feeling'...so the answer 'they feel happy' is how he feels...children are simple and innocent.

How can a teacher possibly expect a child in lower primary to be precise ? Thought the 'PSLE standard of marking' applies to P3 onwards ?

Imagine someone asks you: how do you feel?

for me, i will answer: I feel happy.

i don't think i will ever answer \"i am happy\" because it seems not answering the question directly.

[ChiefKiasu]

dyh:

I give one classic example. In SA1 for P1 this year, they have a comprehension question which asked something like \"how do they feel?\"


my son wrote \"they feel happy\" and was marked wrong (not even half a mark gievn) because the teacher said correct answer is \"they are happy\".

To be honest i still have a hard time accepting this. if i sat for the exam, I would have got it wrong myself, not to mention P1 kid. :lol:

:!: Well... it would make a big difference if the answer is \"they feel stupid\" versus \"they are stupid\". If I'm a Science teacher, I would have graded the teacher's answer wrong because the answer of \"They are happy\" does not objectively answer the question.

[janet88]

dyh:

janet_lee88:

Hi dyh,

It's very hard to accept, esp for a P1 child...how would he/she possibly understand ? To a child, being happy is a 'feeling'...so the answer 'they feel happy' is how he feels...children are simple and innocent.

How can a teacher possibly expect a child in lower primary to be precise ? Thought the 'PSLE standard of marking' applies to P3 onwards ?

Imagine someone asks you: how do you feel?

for me, i will answer: I feel happy.

i don't think i will ever answer \"i am happy\" because it seems not answering the question directly.

Precisely...I will answer the same way too. I won't say 'I am happy'. Don't teachers always tell their students to answer to the question...this applies to all levels. Since when students are supposed to twist ?

[dyh]

ChiefKiasu:

dyh:

I give one classic example. In SA1 for P1 this year, they have a comprehension question which asked something like \"how do they feel?\"


my son wrote \"they feel happy\" and was marked wrong (not even half a mark gievn) because the teacher said correct answer is \"they are happy\".

To be honest i still have a hard time accepting this. if i sat for the exam, I would have got it wrong myself, not to mention P1 kid. :lol:

:!: Well... it would make a big difference if the answer is \"they feel stupid\" versus \"they are stupid\". If I'm a Science teacher, I would have graded the teacher's answer wrong because the answer of \"They are happy\" does not objectively answer the question.

i feel honoured to have chiefkiasu's support in this. or shall i say \"i am honoured?\" :lol:

[janet88]

ChiefKiasu:

dyh:

I give one classic example. In SA1 for P1 this year, they have a comprehension question which asked something like \"how do they feel?\"


my son wrote \"they feel happy\" and was marked wrong (not even half a mark gievn) because the teacher said correct answer is \"they are happy\".

To be honest i still have a hard time accepting this. if i sat for the exam, I would have got it wrong myself, not to mention P1 kid. :lol:

:!: Well... it would make a big difference if the answer is \"they feel stupid\" versus \"they are stupid\". If I'm a Science teacher, I would have graded the teacher's answer wrong because the answer of \"They are happy\" does not objectively answer the question.

Since when teachers/HODs have their brains so wired to 'PSLE standard of marking' that they have become inflexible ?

[php]

dyh:

I give one classic example. In SA1 for P1 this year, they have a comprehension question which asked something like \"how do they feel?\"

my son wrote \"they feel happy\" and was marked wrong (not even half a mark gievn) because the teacher said correct answer is \"they are happy\".

To be honest i still have a hard time accepting this. if i sat for the exam, I would have got it wrong myself, not to mention P1 kid. :lol:

i didn't realise this... tonight i will dig through my dd SA1 paper and see what she wrote....