PSLE under review, but no "short term quick fix": Heng

A review of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and the way the results of primary school leavers would be used is underway, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat today.

This also means looking into Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Sharmugaratnam's comments on the hot-button issue on Sunday. Mr Tharman had earlier said that results of the PSLE should not be so finely differentiated.

But Mr Heng stressed that the exam should not be viewed "in isolation", but as part of a broader review of the education system. "This is not a short-term quick fix," he noted.

The ministry will engage parents in the coming months in sessions to gather their feedback. He was speaking at the open house of Crest Secondary School in Jurong, a specialized school for Normal (Technical) students which will start admitting students next January.