MP echoes calls for PSLE to be scrapped

[Lilac66]

ksi:

Lilac66:

My feelings too. Yes , imagine the flood of students scrambling to take the entrance exams at the top few schools, then the lesser known ones? Shake legs , while waiting for \"customers\" to come?

dejavu? Reminds me of P1 registration!!! :rotflmao:

:hi5: Precisely!

[concern2]

Lilac66:

ksi:

[quote=\"Lilac66\"]


My feelings too. Yes , imagine the flood of students scrambling to take the entrance exams at the top few schools, then the lesser known ones? Shake legs , while waiting for \"customers\" to come?

dejavu? Reminds me of P1 registration!!! :rotflmao:

:hi5: Precisely![/quote]Have to agree that as I put my words out in front of me, it sort of rings a bell

[concern2]

Chenonceau:

concern2:

Hmmmm... I find this argument strange to be coming from Chenonceau, who thinks children should not be graded and exams are hindrance to real learning. Mind clarifying, Chen?

:snuggles: It is interesting how, even in a forum, where words are black on white screen. People have a tendancy to project things on another that the other has never thought... let alone said. It is never my habit to be ALL or NOTHING.

For me, it is about balance. I have never said all testing or grading is bad. I have never said exams are ALWAYS a hindrance to learning. I have said however that our systems tests TOO MUCH... TOO OFTEN... TOO FAST. In testing so much, schools necessarily have less time to teach, and therefore kids have less time to learn.

There are instances where testing is necessary and grading is necessary. There are instances when after learning enough you NEED to test. It's about balance.

Thanks for clarifying Chen, you write more posts than I manage to read, so I guess that's how I developing the misunderstanding.

[cherryc]

Chenonceau:

concern2:

Hmmmm... I find this argument strange to be coming from Chenonceau, who thinks children should not be graded and exams are hindrance to real learning. Mind clarifying, Chen?

:snuggles: It is interesting how, even in a forum, where words are black on white screen. People have a tendancy to project things on another that the other has never thought... let alone said. It is never my habit to be ALL or NOTHING.

For me, it is about balance. I have never said all testing or grading is bad. I have never said exams are ALWAYS a hindrance to learning. I have said however that our systems tests TOO MUCH... TOO OFTEN... TOO FAST. In testing so much, schools necessarily have less time to teach, and therefore kids have less time to learn.

There are instances where testing is necessary and grading is necessary. There are instances when after learning enough you NEED to test. It's about balance. I made noise for a few reasons...

(1) PSLE tests secondary level stuff (MOE promises to test reasonably)

(2) Teachers have no time and few resources to teach with (addressed by Stellar and a national teacher database of resources still being discussed)

(3) Classes are too large for teachers to teach effectively (not yet addresses)

(4) Schools compete with each other so much that they refuse to share (addressed by the removal of awards and banding)

(5) Teachers compete with each other so much that they also don't share their best stuff (addressed by the revamp of the teacher appraisal system)

I have nothing else to tell MOE. I have no more criticism of MOE.

Totally agree with Chen. The majority of us took PSLE before and we all turn out pretty balanced and unscathed. The whole 6 years of primary school life is getting very daunting for many students and parents now and scrapping PSLE may turn out to be more confusing for some groups of students and parents. I do hope the excessive stress (esply parental stress) , tuitions and parental involvements in our current education system can be alleviated.

I hope the Principals being the stewards of the schools can work closely with MOE to chart the proper course of actions for the schools and for the students (and not for any unnecessary KPIs). Until we know the true constraints of the education system, be it due to teachers, curriculum or resources, we can't simply say scrap this and that and hoping all the problems will be solved. I hope to hear from the teachers and principals given the resources available, what is the best course of action. I also hope all kinds of voices from different backgrounds will be heard.

On a separate note, a P6 teacher commented that DSA took up a lot of time preparing for those students needed to go for DSA. She rather uses the time to revise with all the weaker kids. Again, we never see the full picture of every option.

[cherryc]

slmkhoo:

I don't think PSLE will go, or at least, something similar will take its place, whatever it's called and however it's structured. I just want to say that I feel that every child should start from the same starting line at every major milestone - no special exemptions (except for disabilities), no 'through-train' or automatic qualifications that are not open to every other child. It is because of the perceived benefits of getting into some special track, be it GEP, IP or whatever, that causes a lot of the competition and stress. Early segregation into different tracks also disadvantages late developers and those from less privileged backgrounds. I personally would like to see no streaming until grade 8 (Sec 2), but given Singapore's historical 6-4-2 education system, we may be stuck with a grade 6 test.

:goodpost:

[verykiasu2010]

Mychildren:

If they start to change & implement something just because of some complains, I think that's no good. They should know why & what should be change.


Short term goals is not enough, need to c further down the road. MOE should sit down & review what the future generation should be heading to & plan accordingly. After implementing & changing, they can only c the results & outcome in another 20 or 30 years time.

I'm not from MOE & I understand its easier to say than to have it done.

my children are sensible

[verykiasu2010]

concern2:

ksi:

[quote=\"Chenonceau\"]Dumb.


It's like. I have a fever. I don't like having a fever. So ok! Let's break the thermometer!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_jUBxYaDjzk/Tr1LDqUCasI/AAAAAAAAHC8/b6qY09dNM54/s1600/clap-animated-animation-clap-smiley-emoticon-000340-large.gif\">

Interesting analogy, Chen. Fever means a sign that something is wrong with the body, and needs fixing. PSLE is the thing that measures, hence is like the thermometer which one uses to see whether one does have fever or no fever, so should not be discarded.

I personally feel that normal tests can be used to perform this. The only difficult part that requires more brainstorming would be in distributing the students into the various secondary schools. If the aim is that all schools are/be good schools, then this may be the right direction to take. The question that remains is how.

I am all for scraping :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah:
:boogie: :boogie: :boogie: :dancing: :imcool: :imcool: :imcool:[/quote]where got something wrong with body ? raised temp means time to fulfill national duty to increase TFR :siam:

[concern2]

verykiasu2010:

concern2:

Interesting analogy, Chen. Fever means a sign that something is wrong with the body, and needs fixing. PSLE is the thing that measures, hence is like the thermometer which one uses to see whether one does have fever or no fever, so should not be discarded.

I personally feel that normal tests can be used to perform this. The only difficult part that requires more brainstorming would be in distributing the students into the various secondary schools. If the aim is that all schools are/be good schools, then this may be the right direction to take. The question that remains is how.

I am all for scraping :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah:
:boogie: :boogie: :boogie: :dancing: :imcool: :imcool: :imcool:

where got something wrong with body ? raised temp means time to fulfill national duty to increase TFR :siam:

What, for Pri schoolers? You asking for this right? :spank: :spank:

[verykiasu2010]

concern2:

verykiasu2010:

[quote=\"concern2\"]

Interesting analogy, Chen. Fever means a sign that something is wrong with the body, and needs fixing. PSLE is the thing that measures, hence is like the thermometer which one uses to see whether one does have fever or no fever, so should not be discarded.

I personally feel that normal tests can be used to perform this. The only difficult part that requires more brainstorming would be in distributing the students into the various secondary schools. If the aim is that all schools are/be good schools, then this may be the right direction to take. The question that remains is how.

I am all for scraping :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah:
:boogie: :boogie: :boogie: :dancing: :imcool: :imcool: :imcool:

where got something wrong with body ? raised temp means time to fulfill national duty to increase TFR :siam:

What, for Pri schoolers? You asking for this right? :spank: :spank:[/quote]of course not for kids lah ..... read carefully hor

[concern2]

verykiasu2010:

concern2:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]

where got something wrong with body ? raised temp means time to fulfill national duty to increase TFR :siam:

What, for Pri schoolers? You asking for this right? :spank: :spank:

of course not for kids lah ..... read carefully hor[/quote]Sorli, at first I thot I caught the ball, then I toss it back at you, and you say I didn't catch it, now I donno whether I did catch the ball or didn't, or you did not catch my ball and said I did not catch your ball. So, you catch my ball??! :rotflmao: :rotflmao: