Parents discuss issues like PSLE stress during last session of Conversations with ST

SINGAPORE – Parents raised hot-button issues like the stress of major examinations such as the PSLE at the latest and final edition of Conversations with The Straits Times, a year-long series of discussions involving editors and journalists from the newsroom.

On Dec 12, participants asked about alternatives to the Primary School Leaving Examination and tips for Primary 1 registration, given the pressures faced at these junctures in their children’s lives.

In response, ST editor Jaime Ho said that while national examinations have become less high-stakes than they used to be, more needs to be done for the education scene in Singapore.

He explained that the reason ST no longer covers the release of examination results is to evolve the narrative around education, reduce stress and focus on broader aspects.

“Through the stories that we tell, we also want to help evolve the narrative a little bit away from the kinds of inordinate stresses and focuses that we have built up over all these decades on education,” he said.

Rather than leading with results, he said, the stories now focus on spotlighting schools and students with interesting achievements apart from academics.

The final instalment of Conversations with The Straits Times, which is part of a year-long series of events to mark ST’s 180th anniversary in 2025, was held on Dec 12 at the SPH Media News Centre in Toa Payoh, with 30 parents in attendance.

Mr Ho spent more than an hour in dialogue with the parents, together with senior education correspondent Sandra Davie and senior correspondent Jane Ng, who writes for ST’s Smart Parenting section in Life.

Similar to the

third session held in May

for young professionals and the fifth session held in November to engage young adults, this event for parents was also open to the public.

Earlier sessions in the series were by invitation only. The first event in January brought together individuals from non-profit organisations, while the second in March engaged junior college students. The

fourth, in July,

featured business executives.

These sessions aim to facilitate candid discussions between ST and its audiences, offering readers a chance to interact directly with the newsroom and gain insights into its work.

At the Dec 12 session, some parents raised concerns about the challenges faced by their children with special needs in schools and hoped for more awareness about these issues.

One parent shared her struggles finding vacancies in special schools and student care centres for her seven-year-old daughter with autism.

Another parent said his 11-year-old son with dyslexia struggles to find his footing in mainstream schools, as the syllabus today is more demanding than what it was when he was a student many years ago.

“It is a strain, not just for kids but for their parents too... I know parents of kids with special needs who face a lot of anxiety helping their kids reach academic milestones,” he said.

Ms Davie said ST will endeavour to highlight these issues and provide more community support for children with special needs and their parents.

She added that ST already has many resources on its Smart Parenting site to help with parenting challenges and is stepping up parenting workshops it has planned for 2026.

“We hope in coming together for the workshops, parents will also talk to each other and build ties with each other. Because you’re all trying to figure out the same things,” she said.

She added that ST hopes to work with different community groups, such as Playeum – a local charity championing play and creativity in the lives of children – to bring parents together.

To further extend support to parents, ST is also publishing a PSLE Companion containing a wealth of resources in January 2026, she added.

It will contain articles packed with information and expert advice on exam preparation, as well as worksheets that parents can use to guide their children.

For more information about ST180, visit 

str.sg/st180