Forum: No need to tweak PSLE as education system already offers diverse pathways
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I refer to the article “ Exam difficulty, use of PSLE results being studied to lower exam stakes
I wrote to the Forum years ago and my views about offering different pathways for students are still relevant today (Tweaking exams shouldn’t be about coping with pressure, Oct 31, 2012).
The letter was a brief reflection drawn from my research and life journey – an attempt to understand why I dropped out of school in 1969, and what later drove me to persevere in my studies until I graduated with a doctoral degree in education at the age of 53.
I agree with views that we cannot do away with the PSLE completely. The PSLE serves as a crucial assessment to determine the most appropriate pathways for students in their educational journey. It is a transparent and meritocratic system that cannot easily be replaced. Far from being flawed, it has served Singapore well for decades.
It is no accident that Singapore has earned international praise for its education system. UN economic adviser Jeffrey Sachs once remarked that Singapore performs strongly on the global stage partly because it has one of the best education systems in the world. In this light, it would be unwise to lower standards every time public anxieties arise.
Rather than continually tweaking a well-functioning system, it may be more constructive to help parents and students better understand the diverse pathways that our education system already offers.
These pathways are designed to cater to different strengths, interests and learning styles. Each route leads to new horizons suited to the individual student and offers the promise of a meaningful and fulfilling future, regardless of examination results.
Therefore instead of weakening a system that has served us well, we should focus on empowering parents and students with greater awareness, confidence and trust in the multiple pathways available. In doing so, we preserve academic rigour while nurturing hope, resilience and a broader definition of success.
Ong Soon Leong
