Letter of the week: It's the obsession with excelling in exams that is problematic

Students should be encouraged to set their own goals, says the writer. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Now that mid-year examinations for primary and secondary school students will be scrapped by next year (Budget debate: No more mid-year exams for all primary and secondary schools from 2023, March 7), parents may be wondering: "How will this affect my child's learning experiences in school?"

Parents and teachers want children to excel at exams. There is nothing wrong with this.

It is the obsession with doing well in exams that is problematic.

Because getting well-paying jobs or being in a well-respected profession are equated with achieving excellent exam scores, it is easy for a child to become obsessed with getting good exam results.

Students should be encouraged to set their own goals. Help them to see failure as part of success, and build resilience and passion for learning.

Soon, students will have only the year-end exams to prepare for. Parents and teachers could cultivate in children curiosity and a passion to learn. They could also give them opportunities to discover what they like best, and what they can and want to do well in.

Tan Kok Siang (Dr)

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