Pick up strategies to manage PSLE stress

Children are better able to approach their studies with confidence when stress levels are kept in check.

ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Jane Ng

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High stress impairs a child's focus and recall during exams, potentially causing physical symptoms and hindering classroom performance, according to June Yong.
The PSLE Stress Management Workshop on January 17, 2026, offers strategies for parents to support children, including goal-setting worksheets created by ST.
Panellists at the workshop include Estelle Low and Jane Ng, who will share their PSLE experiences, with Sandra Davie explaining goal-setting importance.

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Explore the PSLE Companion microsite for more insights and tips.

SINGAPORE – Even if a child has prepared well for his exam, his performance can be affected if he is unable to manage stress well.

High levels of stress can overload children’s brains, reducing their ability to focus and make it harder to recall information during the exam.

Sometimes it results in physiological symptoms, such as headaches and stomach aches or difficulty sleeping, which can affect a child’s ability to show up in the classroom, said family life specialist and counselling associate June Yong from Focus on the Family Singapore.

Ms Yong is a mother of three children, the youngest of whom just sat the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2025.

She will be speaking at the PSLE Stress Management Workshop organised for ST PSLE Companion subscribers, and will share practical strategies to help parents and their children manage exam stress.

Family life specialist and counselling associate June Yong from Focus on the Family Singapore will share tips on managing stress.
PHOTO: FOCUS ON THE FAMILY SINGAPORE

“For children, overly high levels of stress can impact their emotional well-being and ability to learn effectively,” she said.

Conversely, when stress levels are kept in check and caregivers play a supportive role in managing stress and academic workload, children are better able to focus, retain information, enjoy learning and approach their studies with confidence, she added.

The

PSLE Stress Management Workshop

will be held on Saturday, Jan 17, from 10am to 12.30pm, at the SPH Auditorium.

Aside from gaining tips on stress management, parents attending the workshop in person will receive a set of goal-setting worksheets which they can use to set targets with their child.

The Straits Times’ senior education correspondent Sandra Davie will explain during the session why goal setting is important. The worksheets created by ST, with the help of a handful of experts, will be available to ST PSLE Companion subscribers later in the month, along with a video guide.

There will also be a panel discussion where The Singapore Women’s Weekly’s editor-in-chief Estelle Low will talk about her worries as she prepares her child for PSLE in 2027, and ST senior correspondent Jane Ng will share her experience navigating PSLE with her two older children.

The discussion will be moderated by ST news editor (video) Olivia Quay.