In Conversation with Stakeholders on Education

Reducing academic content to broaden the curriculum, tweaking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) to reduce stress faced by students and parents, establishing a ‘kinder’ education system that would reward learning, reducing the disparity between lower-ability students and overachievers – these were some of the burning concerns that participants discussed at Our Singapore Conversation sessions on education issues held in April and May this year.

Close to 300 participants shared their views passionately during this second phase of Our Singapore Conversation dialogue sessions, which focused on broad themes in education.

‘As a parent, this is a great avenue for us to come here to give our frank opinions, offer solutions and not just dwell on complaints. I was heartened that there were consistent views that education is not just about getting good grades, but also to nurture one’s character and values, to help children reach their potential,’ said Mr Ian Tan, a blogger with two primary school children.

At the conversations….

Topics discussed at the sessions ranged from PSLE, streaming, stress, character development and social mobility. Although there were diverse views from participants who came from all walks of life; grandparents, parents, young adults and even students, the common thread that connected all the participants was their common interest in creating a better education landscape for our future generations.

Most participants felt that the conversation was a good initiative even though they understood that it will take some time for changes to be implemented. While everyone had their own views about Singapore’s education system, many agreed that the dialogue sessions were enlightening as they had the opportunity to hear different perspectives as well.

On stress, revising the PSLE and social mobility…

When the topic of PSLE was broached, many participants felt that the curriculum content could be refreshed, or tweaked to recognise children who are talented in non-academic areas. Even so, a straw poll amongst the participants indicated that the majority would not want the PSLE to be scrapped.

‘Our group felt that Singapore’s education system could be more flexible, and a system of ability-based learning would be beneficial for every child. More could also be done to help lower-ability children to catch up with their peers, as the over-emphasis on academic excellence stresses these students out,’ said a parent, Mrs Ho Peck Leng.

Another concerned parent, Mrs Marie Hwang, also called for a ‘kinder’ PSLE to reward learning instead of setting questions that tested pupils beyond their understanding of concepts, so that students would still find joy in learning.

Join the Conversation!

‘It is rare for ministers, policy makers, teachers and parents to come together to have a conversation at the national level. I think we should come together more often to discuss issues close to our hearts,’ opined Mr Leong Wei Shin, a lecturer with the National Institute of Education.

S.Devendran, Director for Community Engagement & Volunteer Management Division of SINDA, who is a parent of three, commented that ‘the Singapore Conversation is a right step we should take as a country for more participative discussions. It is heartening to hear about similar concerns, and at the same time, enlightening to hear about concerns that I never thought about.’

If you would like to find out more about the Singapore Conversation on education-related issues, visit the MOE website (www.moe.gov.sg/our-singapore-conversation) today!