Voices Of Youth

Bigger changes to education needed

There are some faults with the recently announced changes to the academic system (No exams in P1, P2: Progress will be measured in other ways; Sept 29).

For one thing, by discarding examinations for Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils, parents may be unable to gauge the academic abilities of their children.

By removing exams, students may not be sufficiently trained to cope with the rigorous demands of major tests such as the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and the O Levels.

However, I recognise that this move serves to update the education system and helps inspire curiosity and promote an enthusiastic attitude towards learning in students.

Currently, the changes are minute. It will take more to change Singaporeans' overall attitude towards exams and mindless rote learning.

Koon Wei Pheng , 14

Secondary 2 student

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 17, 2018, with the headline Bigger changes to education needed. Subscribe