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Intense PSLE preparation can cause significant, long-lasting psychological harm to children
The expectation that 12-year-olds can consistently metabolise stress and maintain perspective under high stakes is not aligned with established developmental science.
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The writers do not believe that the system is building genuine “resilience” at the population level.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Mok Sook Fern and Amrit Kaur
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Will scrapping the PSLE create a sheltered generation, unprepared for the rigours of the modern workplace? This concern was expressed in a recent op-ed by Associate Professor Mary Foong-Fong Chong,
This op-ed casts the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) as a necessary “rite of passage” for Singaporean children, the best or, perhaps, only mechanism by which their resilience can be developed. It also argues that time is needed after years of relentless education reforms to assess whether these have been effective before rushing into further changes.
