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Pisa report: Students' fear of failure tied to focus on results
Experts say this is due to the culture of merit being linked to academic showing
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The latest Pisa study also showed that 60 per cent of Singapore students had a "growth mindset", or believe that their intelligence can change with effort they put in.
PHOTO: ST
Jolene Ang, Amelia Teng
The fear of failure resonates with Singapore teens and this does not surprise observers, who note that a student's sense of self-worth and confidence is often influenced by how well he does academically. This is the result of a culture here where, for decades, merit has been intertwined heavily with academic results.
Ms Annelise Lai, a clinical psychologist at Resilienz Clinic, said: "Before the phasing out of academic streaming by 2024, failing an exam could mean being ranked at the bottom of society or discriminated since a young age."
