Looking beyond the pain over PSLE

Fri, 8 Oct 2021
9 min read
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Covid-19 has been tough on this year’s cohort, pointing to further action needed as the children go on to secondary school. Parents too need to consider the broader shifts in education and the lessons they impart their children in their responses to exam setbacks.

St Gabriel’s Secondary School assembly grounds in 2008. This year’s PSLE en route to secondary school exposed a chasm between what the majority of this cohort of Primary 6 pupils were prepared for, and what they were ultimately able to do. (Photo: Laremy Lee)


Laremy Lee
For The Straits Times

So palpable was the pain from this year’s mathematics primary school leaving examination (PSLE) that it even affected those of us who did not sit the exam.

It prompted my 29-year-old cousin to recount, over WhatsApp, her traumatic experience in 2004, when she sat for her PSLE: “For my cohort, our science PSLE was the toughest. Science was my best subject. But I could neither do the paper nor finish it in time. I was quite shaken and on the verge of breaking down. Our teachers confirmed it was the toughest science paper they had seen in years. So how (this cohort of) pupils must be feeling totally resonates with me.”

Her story, as well as various accounts of both pupils and parents in the news and on other media platforms was heart-wrenching. There is a distinct struggle which Singaporeans of all stripes go through when it comes to high-stakes national examinations, further exacerbated in the last two years by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gaps in three areas
At the same time, the stories surrounding these exams have illuminated gaps in three areas where course corrections are needed, to do right by this generation of children, and the generations that follow.

This year’s PSLE exposed a chasm between what the majority of this cohort of Primary 6 pupils were prepared for, and what they were ultimately able to do. The pupils had just commenced their PSLE journey in Primary 5 last year when the pandemic befell us, bringing about its associated disruptions to learning.

One of these hurdles was home-based learning, as not everyone was equipped to learn well in an online setting. The loss of curriculum time over the last two years also meant teachers were unable to offer as much clarification and support to all pupils as before, which compounded pupils’ learning gaps. The outcome for these kids was a rocky PSLE foundation, so some attempts were made to mitigate this.

Content reduction
For the PSLE, the Ministry of Education announced in June the removal of common last topics. These are a set of topics in each subject taught at the tail-end of each graduating cohort’s time in school. For this year’s mathematics PSLE, the dropped topics included speed, volume, pie charts, solid figures and nets.

Given the insufficient time for schools to cover the breadth of topics they normally would in a non-Covid year, it was only right for the ministry to mandate a reduction in scope for this year’s PSLE.

Kudos must also go to teachers who selflessly carved out time for supplementary classes to help pupils who needed it. Despite these efforts, the disjuncture that still occurred suggests it may then have been an issue of skills.

Broadly, educators look at what needs to be taught in each subject from the lenses of content – what learners should know – and skills – what they should be able to do. For instance, content topics in mathematics would include fractions, decimals, percentages and so on, while skills would include calculation, spatial visualisation, estimation and the like. In all fields, skill mastery is obtained through adequate opportunities and space to tackle the range of methods and approaches to comprehending, problem-solving and application.

Even with content reduction for this year’s PSLE, pupils still struggled in attempting questions on the remaining topics, which indicates there was also insufficient time to develop skills. This deficit could likely be cohort-wide and will have a knock-on effect on their learning needs and development.

Plug skills gap in future plans
Both the ministry and secondary schools should now look ahead towards the next four to five years, as the majority of this cohort moves on to secondary school. Plans for enhancements to both curriculum and assessment – taking into account this skills gap – should be discussed now. Implemented progressively over the next half-decade, it would go some way in making sure this generation is not disadvantaged tomorrow by the havoc the pandemic has wrought today.

Expectation versus reality
That it may have been an issue of skills hints at a second gap – between expectation and reality regarding assessment, on two levels.

For parents, one of the myths surrounding this year’s PSLE has been the perception of the increased difficulty of papers, due to the new achievement level scoring system introduced this year. It replaces the old T-score system.

The misconception: the new scoring system makes it easier for more students to do well. Accordingly, exams have been made more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The truth: Kids are indeed finding exams tougher and it is not because of the new scoring system. Instead, it is because national syllabuses, from primary school to pre-university, have been increasing in complexity over the last decade or so.

Complexity refers to the types of thinking we carry out, from lower levels of memorisation and recall, to higher levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. In a mathematics syllabus, a learning outcome of lower complexity may require pupils to be able to identify fractions, for example. A learning outcome of higher complexity may require pupils to be able to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between fractions and percentages, and represent this understanding through a mathematical model.

Transition to higher-order thinking
Worldwide, there has been a transitional trend towards teaching more higher-order thinking in schools, and for good reason. Our young will inherit from us a fitful future. The best legacy we can bequeath them would be critical- and creative-thinking skills that allow them to adapt nimbly to the vicissitudes of that uncertain age. In this, it is inevitable that assessments – which both measure and aid learning – make the same shift to impart these proficiencies.

To some extent, this might also explain the infamous “Helen and Ivan” image that has been circulating in the media and in chat groups recently. Allegedly a four-mark question from this year’s PSLE mathematics paper, it has drawn the ire of many because of its complexity, to the extent that even adults are stumped.

Discomfiture notwithstanding, it is a plausible representation of the type of thinking skills our young need to have and are starting to pick up. Likewise, it will take time for older generations to get used to this new normal, and to acquire the same cognitive skills and approaches alongside our young.

In terms of the setting of the PSLE paper, there also appears to be a likelihood of a similar gap between expectation and reality. Given the pandemic’s global impact, the challenges parents and pupils faced are the very same ones with which educators had to contend. In this, we are, truly, all together. So it is not impossible for a paper to have been set, wherein a mismatch existed between the assessment expectations and the pupils’ reality, as outlined earlier.

Review on moderation of grades
It is timely for both the Education Ministry and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board to conduct a review, to first determine if a moderation of grades for the cohort is needed. Then, if an assessment-setting gap is found, to also identify how to close this gap for future cohorts.

Therein lies the heart of the pain which parents and pupils alike poured out: a desire to be heard on these issues for the sake of fairness – one of the universal principles of assessment.

Yet, some of the posts from parents had me wondering if the unhappiness from their instinctive protectiveness could have been channelled in a manner more suited to the care and concern it belied.

Many parents were, naturally, upset by their children’s distress, especially since it occurred during a high-stakes national examination. Wanting to be there for their children in the present, and concurrently worrying about how it might affect their future, parents reacted by posting diatribes of blame and bitterness in a range of fora – a method at odds with its goal.

Create loving, supportive environment
Hence, the third and most crucial gap that needs to be closed: the one within our personal and national narratives, in terms of how we want to care for our young, and how we actually do so.

Psychologist John Byng-Hall popularised the concept of the family script, to describe behaviours that individuals absorb and enact during interactions with family members. While this has importance in establishing roles and boundaries within a family setting, it is also damaging when taken to the opposite extreme, and people repeat unhealthy attitudes and behaviours. This means the negative narratives we propagate about assessment – and life, in general – will be imbibed by our young, who will – to paraphrase English poet Philip Larkin – hand on that same misery to their children, in a vicious circle of anxiety and fear.

A better script might go something along these lines: “Today, my kid came back crying because the paper was tough. But I told them: ‘Don’t worry; what matters is you showed up and you did your best. Whatever happens, I love you, and it will be all right. We will get over any obstacles you face together.”’

For that is how my aunt and uncle responded to my cousin 17 years ago, when she returned home, bawling her eyes out and doubting her own abilities at that tender age.

Despite that setback then, my cousin is doing well today. She handles diversity and inclusion matters in a multinational corporation and speaks globally on these topics too. She cannot remember the grade she eventually received for her science PSLE. But what stands out most to her, besides the shock and ordeal of a paper that she and her peers wrestled with, was the kind, loving and supportive environment her parents created for her to thrive.

And that is what we should really be assessing ourselves on, as a nation.

Laremy Lee is a writer and educator. He was formerly a schools correspondent with The Straits Times. 

(Published as “Looking beyond the pain over PSLE” on 7 Oct 2021 in The Straits Times.)

The last Teachers’​ Day you’ll ever observe – and how to avoid it

Fri, 3 Sep 2021
2 min read
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Today is Teachers’ Day in Singapore, a day set aside to appreciate the hard work of caring for young lives and minds.

As educators – both leaders and teachers alike – take the day to rest, recharge and reflect on the good that they do, this thought-provoking question should be contemplated too:

What if this were the last Teachers’ Day you’ll ever observe?

For some, I’m sure it’d be even more reason to celebrate. Yay! they’d cheer. No more pesky parents, needy teachers or annoying students to deal with!

Jokes aside, the feeling for most, especially for those in the prime of their career, would be midway between existential dread and impending doom.

Professional obsolescence is a very real threat in all industries, given accelerating technological developments and an increasingly changing social environment.

Naysayers often add to the anxiety by prophesying how the job of teachers will soon disappear, given advancements in technologies that do the work of imparting knowledge better than teachers can.

To avoid being replaced by robots, educators must not only lead and teach well; they must discharge a duty of care at a level that machines will never be able to match.

First, inspire staff and students to learn and challenge them to grow by connecting with them on a human level.

Let staff and students know and feel they are important, and that each is accountable to their own selves for their achievements.

Next, use imagination and creativity to build environments and craft experiences that foster thoughts, values and actions required for well-rounded learning and growth.

This engages staff and students in a holistic manner, and promotes a sense of belonging to their communities for deeper engagement.

Finally, care for your staff and students in the ways they want to be cared for, in order to forge a culture of excellence.

When staff and students know and feel they are heard, supported and trusted, it creates a virtuous circle of care in the educational ecosystem.

Ultimately, this empowers staff and students to strive to succeed and become the best versions of themselves.

A Happy Teachers’ Day to all educators out there, and here’s to many more to come!

Advice for a younger person

Fri, 25 Jun 2021
3 min read
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Recently, a young person reached out to me to schedule a video chat about life paths and careers.

I was pretty impressed by a few things:

  1. First, her courage and confidence in networking, especially since neither of us knew the other before this.

    It takes gumption and moxie to do a cold approach in any situation, so kudos to her for breaking the ice.

  2. Second, her creativity and maturity – while she’s on a gap year, she’s been talking to people around the world to learn from them.

    This is precisely what the internet was built for – knowledge and exchange of ideas across boundaries.

  3. Last but not least, her well-crafted questions.

    What she asked gave me much food for thought, in terms of what I’ve learnt thus far, and how someone else might also be able to use that learning to do or be better.

I’m penning down my responses here, partly as a comparison with my responses when I was posed a similar question seven years ago.

And, perhaps, if another opportunity presents itself again, it might be a comparison to what I would say in the future. It’d be interesting to see how my thinking would’ve evolved – or not – at each age or life stage.

  • What advice would you give your younger self?

    When it comes to learning and life, strike a balance between going at it on your own versus getting trusted advice from someone who’s been there and done that.

    On one hand, reinventing the wheel can often be an exercise in futility.

    Having someone reliable with the wisdom of experience to guide you makes the process of learning and development quicker and less painful; you get to avoid any pitfalls while reaping the rewards of success.

    On the other hand, tried-and-tested methods, while safe, may not always lend themselves to creativity and innovation.

    She asked a follow-up question: How do you find that balance? While i had provided an initial response, I’m reworking what I said initially and would like to offer this instead:

    Always gather information first, regardless of whether what you want to do is something others have done before, or something no one has done before.

    You may uncover inputs that are useful, relevant and applicable, in a direct or indirect way.

    Conversely, you may discover information that indicates a need to forge your own path, instead of following a well-trodden one.

    Once you gather sufficient insights, distil them to make decisions on how best to do what it is you want to do.

  • What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt from your career?

    Take care of yourself.

    I don’t mean this in a selfish or self-centred way, such as by placing your own needs before those of others.

    Rather, really carry out self-care in all the different dimensions i.e. physical, mental, emotional, etc.

    When you’re in a good place, you can accomplish almost anything, be it leading yourself or others to greater heights.

    To use the oft-quoted Oxygen Mask Analogy: during turbulent times, putting on our own masks first allows us to help others put on their masks.