JULY 15 — This will be a comment by every Singaporean parent at one time or other. (Just exchange girl for boy to suit.)
PSLE is the exam every Singaporean child takes as they complete primary school (typically when they are 11 years old).
It is used to determine what secondary school you will attend and also what stream within that school. So a high PSLE score means a better school and an advanced stream within that school.
To determine how suitable you are for secondary education the PSLE assesses English language, mother tongue languages (typically Chinese, Malay or Tamil), mathematics and science.
The results are used not just to assess children but also the schools they attend and the teachers who teach them. It seems fairly straightforward but of course for competitive parents (which is most Singaporean parents) it is an earth shatteringly big deal.
Holidays, free time, thousands of dollars’ worth of extra tuition fees, every breathing moment of a 10/11-year-old’s life is often devoted to the purpose of scoring the highest PSLE (score 300 is full marks.)
Parents even take months off work to coach their children.
It’s important to note this trauma is a national unifier. Not everyone takes A-levels, girls don’t do national service, not everyone loves chicken rice but every Singaporean takes the PSLE.
But while it is universal, it’s not universally popular. From time to time, there are calls to abolish it (not just from lazy 11 years olds either). Last week a group of MPs debated the possible abolition of the exam.
The argument is that it puts immense pressure on very young children (which it does).
That schools are so fixated on PSLE scores that teaching becomes wholly geared to the exam — narrowing education at the time when it should be most varied.
That sorting children at 11 to determine academic ability is very likely to be ineffective as some children simply develop later and no test can really assess potential.
These are strong arguments. It’s also pointed out that the standardised academic testing of young children has fallen out of favour globally.
The PSLE was modelled after the UK’s 11 plus exam but the UK has, for the most part, phased out the testing of children before O-levels.
Another profound drawback of the PSLE is that while standardised tests are meant to be part of our meritocracy, the reality is that more affluent children who can afford more tuition or whose parents can take time off to coach them tend do better.
As parental resources factor in the outcome, this sort of testing can lead to the institutionalisation of class structures.
However despite the many drawbacks, abolishing the exam isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly.
Nothing is more important to this nation than its education system and while our system may not be perfect, its results are consistently strong.
In various tests and comparisons of student knowledge and ability, Singapore has emerged as the world’s leading nation.
The PSLE and its raw competitiveness has ensured a very high level of basic maths and science within our education system. Moving from such a challenging but admittedly rote based system to something more nurturing and individual would be a truly radical change.
The current system is not broken but it is also clear it could use an overhaul.
While local students excel at competitive tests, creativity and high-level problem solving are yet to become national strengths.
A system so reliant on cramming prior to exams is unlikely to deliver a real love of learning and over time this is becoming a problem.
The prevalence of Foreign Talent (FT) in our labour force and the audible wails of businesses when restrictions on foreign hiring are tightened make it clear that our homegrown workforce is insufficient.
The FTs aren’t just providing raw labour either; there are large numbers of FTs in senior management and more Singaporeans ought to be filling these positions but the suggestion is that the talent is still lacking.
The reality is Singapore’s education system was established when basic literacy was a priority, when the idea that the bulk of the population would need creative/research skills seemed absurd, and when having 10-20 per cent of the population go on to university was more than enough.
Today, however, our per capita GDP stands at over US$50,000 (RM202,576) and to build on this we need to understand that every child really is a precious resource.
We can’t afford to lose talent because of social class or the inability to afford extra tuition; we need to get the best out of every child.
Before we look to abolish the PSLE, we need to understand why parents are so determined to get their children into particular schools. Singapore’s resources should allow us to provide outstanding education in any school.
The number of paths needs to be expanded — whether it’s sports, arts, science or technology — and the ability to move between these paths should be near life long.
What’s important is making sure every child enters the workforce with the highest level of skill possible.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
