PSLE under review, but no "short term quick fix": Heng

Ministry looking at different options; it will gather feedback from parents

By Kezia Toh, The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2012

A REVIEW of the PSLE and how its results are used is under way but this will not be a "short-term quick fix", Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

While he noted that the exam is still an important "benchmark indicator" of a pupil's progress, his ministry is looking at different options, including those voiced by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at an event on Sunday.

His ministry has been studying "intensely" in the past few months changes which are necessary to provide students with a more holistic education, said Mr Heng.

"And there are a number of key pieces that we are working on, including a review of the PSLE. And how we use the results of the PSLE," he told reporters on the sidelines of an open house for Crest Secondary in Jurong East.

Mr Tharman, speaking at an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the death of philanthropist Tan Lark Sye, had suggested looking into the Primary School Leaving Examination scoring system, saying it sorts children too finely by the aggregate of their exact score, and adds to the stress over the exam.

The national exam, which determines which secondary school a Primary 6 pupil goes to, is taken by about 45,000 pupils each year.

Drawing on his experience as education minister from 2003 to 2008, Mr Tharman had also suggested a relook into how pupils are posted to secondary schools and how schools, particularly top ones, can be made more diverse.

Responding to these comments, Mr Heng said yesterday that changes must align with long-term goals. He stressed that the review should not be viewed "in isolation" as it is part of a broader review of the different parts of the education system.

Declining to give a timeframe for the review, he said: "I won't want to prejudge the time needed at the moment because this... is a complex issue. The PSLE has been with us for many, many years now."

His ministry will engage parents in the coming months in sessions to gather feedback. "Let us look at all the pros and cons of the different options and then we can make a decision later," he added.

In recent months, some parents and MPs have criticised the exam for being too high-stakes. Some have even called for it to be abolished. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also said in an interview with The Straits Times in September that the exam needed to be reviewed.

Yesterday, Mr Heng also toured the facilities at Crest Secondary, a specialised school for Normal (Technical) students which will admit its first batch of 200 students in January. The training amenities include a home appliance store and supermarket.

Lessons in English, mathematics and science are designed to complement vocational ones. There will be more integration between hands-on training and academic learning, compared to mainstream schools. Classes are also smaller, with a teacher-student ratio of about one to 10.

Students - aside from finishing with an N-level certificate after four years - will also have an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Skills Certificate. A similar school in Woodlands will admit its first students in January 2014.