Our Beef with the Sacred Cow

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz regarding revamping our education system and high-stakes exams like the PSLE. However, I feel that a lot of the arguments address only the tip of the iceberg and that the issue is multi-faceted and highly complex with many interconnected parts.

When we suggest that we need to change or remove this or that, we need to consider the purpose of certain systems, what else may be affected, and possible repercussions that may follow. Often, in my opinion, we may even be barking up the wrong tree. A good place to start this discussion would be subject at the core of the debate – the PSLE.

The Role of PSLE

The purpose of the PSLE is threefold.

Firstly, it is the sum representation of all that a student has learnt in Primary school. Granted that a student’s performance in a written examination may be affected by many uncontrollable factors, and that the assessment format itself may not be as accurate as say, a verbal interview, it is the best we have at the moment to capture this data at such a mass scale and in such a short period of time.

Second and thirdly, such data is then used for two very important considerations: subject banding and school choice.

If we remove the PSLE, how then do we:

1. Assess the students’ learning of all that was taught in Primary School.
2. Thus, finding a subject combination to best fit the strengths of a child.
3. Assign a school that can best cater to the needs of a child.

So instead of just throwing out the baby with the bathwater, we need to come up with alternative solutions that can meet the needs stated above.

Competition and Stakeholders

I believe that root cause of the stress goes a lot deeper than the PSLE. I believe the core issue is competition on two fronts.

Competition among schools

I know that the recent buzz phrase from MOE is “every school is a good school”. As an ex-MOE teacher I agree with this statement, to a certain extent. Every school has good (and bad) teachers who are highly skilled and caring, and who work hard in the best interest of their charges.

However, the main difference is the cohort, and in effect, the peer influence. That’s the effect when the “good” students go to a “good” school.

I personally did not realise the full extent of my own capabilities during my school years. This was due to the fact that we, with the exception of a few, were mostly underperforming. Peer influence is powerful. None of us felt the need to excel since everyone was so mediocre. I believe the converse to be true in what we perceive to be good schools.

Of course, such schools would want to preserve the culture of its subsequent cohorts and the PSLE cut-off point is, again for a lack of a better system, the way to do it.

Competition among parents

Perhaps this is the by-product of a meritorious society. Many parents see the need for their children to outperform the others to ensure that they have the best options available to them. This is not limited to academics.

Direct School Admissions, where students could apply for school admissions based on non-academic achievements, was introduced into the system to push for a more holistic education with a more holistic assessment. Now, it is not uncommon for parents to enrol their children in extra-curricula training throughout the week to equip them to outperform other children on that front as well.

I believe that even without the PSLE, parents will find something else to outdo someone else and to stress over. This “kiasu” spirit is embedded in our Singaporean culture and hence, I suggest, the main source of our stress.

Not an End, But a Beginning to Many Pathways

The PSLE is just a transition into the next phase of education, albeit an important one, and not the end of all learning. The results of an exam will not seal the fate of 12-year old children for the rest of their lives.

My point is to take it with a pinch of salt. There’s so much more for our children to learn, and there are so many pathways, some more direct than others, to achieving a certified tertiary education.

Some children are late-bloomers and will not find their footing until much later in life. The good news is that our robust education system takes that into consideration. Regardless of which Secondary School or stream our children go into, with hard work and some self-awareness, there is always a pathway in our education system that will lead to their life goals.

I am one such beneficiary of this system. I was not academically inclined in my younger years, but I managed to obtain a degree much later than most. I am currently living a very fulfilled life and not in want of finances or life’s opportunities. My future is bright, and I believe that I am who I am, not in spite of, but due to the fact that I took the path less travelled.

For now, until we come up with a better system to replace the PSLE, and until we as a people can let go of our obsession to be the best, we probably won’t see any major changes any time soon. But perhaps, what is more needed than a change in the system, is for all of us, as Singaporeans, to have a change of heart and perspective.

P.S. Just for fun: How many idioms can you find in this article?

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