As someone with a T-score of 206 in the 2015 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) – not achieving what society would deem an “acceptable” score – I feel qualified to discuss the exam and the stress it still brings to Singapore (
Modify PSLE instead of scrapping it
, Dec 22).
Society needs to learn that the PSLE is only one small drop in the ocean of assessments and performances. Consider the many other tests people have to face in life – some potentially more stressful and life-changing, such as staying mentally healthy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Work appraisals and job interviews are also a constant source of stress, compared with the one-time PSLE.
The PSLE can provide important insights into a child’s well-being and how he copes in an academic environment. This should help to guide conversations about his wider life choices, as well as what doors of opportunity could potentially open for him.
Singaporeans should not treat the PSLE as a life-altering exam. Doing so overstresses and harms the young.
It should not be treated as the exam that determines if children can enter the best school (of their parents’ choice), or one that teaches them resilience by finishing every question perfectly.
The PSLE should teach students about reality: that not every question can be solved, and that there will always be some variation in scores regardless of the moderation system applied.
Rather than modifying the PSLE, Singaporeans need to change their expectations of the exam to better suit the realities of the world.
Atticus Ting