The National Physical Fitness Award (Napfa) test is an important part of the physical education (PE) curriculum in mainstream schools in Singapore.

The Napfa test is a commendable effort to promote healthy living and to encourage students to keep fit through regular physical exercise in preparation for the test. However, if a student is unable to get a minimum grade of E in all stations in the test, he will not be able to pass it.

For instance, there are students who pass all the stations, but fail in one of them. Overall, they are given a Nil grade for the test, which, to a student, is equivalent to a Fail grade.

Thus, this criterion under the Napfa test penalises students for their failures, and does not consider the effort that they may have put in to clear the other stations. This can be very demoralising for students who have failed the test, especially if they have put in much effort to prepare for it.

We should review the grading system of the Napfa test in schools. It should take into account the stations where the students have passed, instead of penalising them for the stations that they have failed in.

Additionally, students can be holistically graded based on their attitude towards preparing for the Napfa test, or their performance during PE lessons.

Hopefully, this will create a more inclusive and encouraging PE curriculum in schools, where all students, especially athletically challenged ones, are motivated to excel in the Napfa test.

Janna Aw Swee Leen, 17

JC 1 student