Forum: Explore alternatives in PSLE mother tongue policy that reflect true equity

I refer to the letter, “

Rethink fairness in exams when accommodating students with dyslexia

” (Feb 25). I agree that fairness should not mean treating every student identically, but rather providing a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they know.

I am the parent of a Primary 5 son formally diagnosed with dysgraphia and orthographic dyslexia. As a “twice-exceptional” child, he possesses high learning potential alongside these neurological challenges. His struggle is not a lack of effort but a documented learning disability.

Under the current PSLE system, my son faces a dilemma. If a pupil takes a mother tongue language (MTL) exemption or opts for Foundation MTL, their Achievement Level (AL) is effectively capped. In the most favourable scenario, such a pupil is at best assigned an imputed score of AL6 for MTL.

My son dreams of entering a secondary school with a cut-off point of 7. But this policy immediately removes that dream from consideration, regardless of how well he performs in English, mathematics and science.

To preserve his options, my son has chosen to persevere with Standard Chinese, pushing himself through a neurological barrier well beyond what is required of his peers. While I am proud of his resilience, it is heartbreaking to see a child forced to “work around” a disability just to maintain access to the same opportunities as others.

The message being sent to these pupils with documented learning disabilities is not “we recognise your challenge”, but “you must accept reduced opportunities because of it”.

We should explore alternatives that reflect true equity. This includes allowing pupils who are exempted due to documented learning disabilities to be considered for secondary school posting based on their other three examinable subjects without an imputed score that effectively penalises their overall aggregate.

Exempted pupils can also be encouraged to take Foundation MTL for personal fulfilment without the fear that doing so will lower their PSLE outcome and restrict their choice of schools.

Meaningful equity is about ensuring that a condition a child was born with does not become a ceiling on their aspirations. Let’s move towards an empathetic system that truly levels the playing field.

Yang Hao Yi