School Examinations Too Difficult
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I like the advice given by this parenting blog on how to avoid careless mistakes during exam:
http://parenting-talk.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-avoid-careless-mistakes-in-exam.html -
Teachers no time to teach today’s curriculum but have time to set such tough
papers??? Wonder Why? To sift out genius instead of testing children what they had
learnt in school. The focus of exams has changed. Not to test what children had learnt
but to find out who are the genius. And these genius aren’t really genius, they had
tons of tuition, of course.
I once told my daughter, even if you can do the maths workbook questions very well, you cannot even pass the school’s maths paper, isn’t it so? -
A few years ago when I stumbled upon this site and began my tutoring past time, I was quite amazed that many "challenging questions" that have sprung up over the decade were in fact koped from primary school maths olympiad (SMOPS) during my times.
The most notable example is the famous inverse speed ratio type of questions.
Hmm school examinations have indeed increase in difficulties, but has the quality of teaching increase proportionally too? That’s why the education sector is booming! -
These days during SA exams, whole classes are failling. Even the "average" classes will significant percentage of children failing their subjects. But my experience with schools is that Teachers blame on "children not able to apply", MOE officers are not even aware that whole classes are failling (when I met some people from HQ & told them that, they were ignorant that such things are happening at primary schools).
It has become a norm for schools to fail children. Many schools are unaware of the amount of pain inflicted on children who fail. I know of Parents who tell me they cane their children when their kids fail without realizing it’s not the kids fault. Yet, do the teachers who set the papers know that?
We’re bringing up a generation of kids who have been traumatized by a sense of failling, blaming, and feeling stupid. It’s a small percentage of parents who really take time to analyze that the key variable is the level of difficulty is pitched way above the bottom half of the kids and not their kids’ fault. Parents who can see the discrepancy don’t blame their kids, what about those who can’t? They blame their own kids for not matching up.
I feel so pained by the amount of pain being subjected to primary school children & parents. -
CoffeeCat:
I have seen some Math Olympiad questions in some primary school Math exam questions. Ironically, the school workbooks are so easy.A few years ago when I stumbled upon this site and began my tutoring past time, I was quite amazed that many \"challenging questions\" that have sprung up over the decade were in fact koped from primary school maths olympiad (SMOPS) during my times.
The most notable example is the famous inverse speed ratio type of questions.
Hmm school examinations have indeed increase in difficulties, but has the quality of teaching increase proportionally too? That's why the education sector is booming! -
beanbear:
Will unabridged (complete) PSLE past years' papers help? Please read the following link and vote if you have an opinion on the suggestion.These days during SA exams, whole classes are failling. Even the \"average\" classes will significant percentage of children failing their subjects. But my experience with schools is that Teachers blame on \"children not able to apply\", MOE officers are not even aware that whole classes are failling (when I met some people from HQ & told them that, they were ignorant that such things are happening at primary schools).
It has become a norm for schools to fail children. Many schools are unaware of the amount of pain inflicted on children who fail. I know of Parents who tell me they cane their children when their kids fail without realizing it's not the kids fault. Yet, do the teachers who set the papers know that?
We're bringing up a generation of kids who have been traumatized by a sense of failling, blaming, and feeling stupid. It's a small percentage of parents who really take time to analyze that the key variable is the level of difficulty is pitched way above the bottom half of the kids and not their kids' fault. Parents who can see the discrepancy don't blame their kids, what about those who can't? They blame their own kids for not matching up.
I feel so pained by the amount of pain being subjected to primary school children & parents.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35434 -
CoffeeCat:
If MOE publishes the EXACT PSLE past years' papers, we are better informed about the % of 'challenging questions'. Educators seem to say (though I am not sure if it is official) that it is only a handful of 'challenging questions'.A few years ago when I stumbled upon this site and began my tutoring past time, I was quite amazed that many \"challenging questions\" that have sprung up over the decade were in fact koped from primary school maths olympiad (SMOPS) during my times.
The most notable example is the famous inverse speed ratio type of questions.
Hmm school examinations have indeed increase in difficulties, but has the quality of teaching increase proportionally too? That's why the education sector is booming! -
My advice is to let a child know that exams are important but not everything in life. Life does not end with psle or O levels, or A levels. Also, parents themselves be realistic, and have faith in your child when they are working hard, and encourage them to work smarter and harder, if they are not. If they are not academically inclined, then at least know the basics well. Compare a child with themselves, rather than with other children. Meanwhile, I hope that a minister will have a child who will struggle academically... So that they understand what most parents go through
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missk:
Compare a child with themselves, rather than with other children. Meanwhile, I hope that a minister will have a child who will struggle academically... So that they understand what most parents go through
:goodpost: :hi5:
I don't think I will be able to pass PSLE if I have to sit for it again. The standard is way too high. Doubt our ministers will ever understand what we parents are going through. If they do, they will not make education so stressful. Even if Singapore does not have natural resources, pressurising 11+/12 year old kids is cruel. So it is natural our kids will have high myopia rate. -
coast:
Transparency of exam papers are temporary strategies I feel. We are not getting to the root of the issue. I think there is fundamentally something wrong when we try to socially engineer young children's performance via streaming at very young ages. Streaming is happening at every level of primary school; the worst being PSLE - a damaging streaming tool whose victims are young 12 year olds.
Will unabridged (complete) PSLE past years' papers help? Please read the following link and vote if you have an opinion on the suggestion.beanbear:
These days during SA exams, whole classes are failling. Even the \"average\" classes will significant percentage of children failing their subjects. But my experience with schools is that Teachers blame on \"children not able to apply\", MOE officers are not even aware that whole classes are failling (when I met some people from HQ & told them that, they were ignorant that such things are happening at primary schools).
It has become a norm for schools to fail children. Many schools are unaware of the amount of pain inflicted on children who fail. I know of Parents who tell me they cane their children when their kids fail without realizing it's not the kids fault. Yet, do the teachers who set the papers know that?
We're bringing up a generation of kids who have been traumatized by a sense of failling, blaming, and feeling stupid. It's a small percentage of parents who really take time to analyze that the key variable is the level of difficulty is pitched way above the bottom half of the kids and not their kids' fault. Parents who can see the discrepancy don't blame their kids, what about those who can't? They blame their own kids for not matching up.
I feel so pained by the amount of pain being subjected to primary school children & parents.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35434
Why the need to stream or differentiate the bright from the not so bright? Why is there a need to put the brightest of the brightest within the same school compound? There is a social engineering process that's going on at the highest levels and I feel so sick by this whole thing because there are many many bright children whose psychological, emotional, physical, spiritual well-being has been sacrificed for the sake of the top 5% of society.
A revolution is needed.
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