ARE these the worst of times for children?
It’s certainly not the best of times, with the pandemic hampering their activities and forcing them to stay home. And for those in primary school there’s a new system of scoring for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) which kicks in this year, which will determine their secondary school and onward education.
In many instances, parents are in lockstep with their children sitting for the PSLE. They also have to figure out the system and understand how best their child would be able to cope, no…excel.
The WED WEB CHAT — PSLE Still Pushing Students Hard? discussed a range of issues around the topic of this important exam that has been around since 1960. Over the decades, it has been changed significantly, socially engineered to identify and develop future workforce talent.
The pressure has been turned up on children and parents, as high-performing schools were sought, resulting in a supporting eco-system of tuition and enrichment centres.
From direct school admission (DSA) to choosing the school and parents’ support groups, the three panellists — PSLE parents Jason Chiam and Sharon Goh, and education entrepreneur and ex-NCMP Yee Jenn Jong — had a lot of experience and advice to offer.
Jason and Sharon have high-achieving children who are prefects and into various other co-curricular activities. As parents, they serve a guiding role, involving their children in the decision-making and the onward journey.
Jenn Jong explained the various issues around putting his three children through the PSLE process. An education entrepreneur, his company, Explico, offers bursaries to needy children.
This is the link to the bursary application:https://www.explico.sg/explico-bursary
As Singapore emphasises the need for creativity in the workforce, are students taking the PSLE encouraged to be creative? How much does tuition cost? Are all schools good schools?What are some key tips for students to succeed at the PSLE?
Watch what the parents of PSLE students have to say in the videos below.
Just how competitive is it for the PSLE students? And is it just the students who are caught up in the race?
Hear what the panellists have to say about the competitive spirit among schools and parents in the video below.
They say some stress is good for you. It builds up resilience and that fighting spirit.
But what do parents think about putting their children through the education mill as the PSLE draws near? Watch the video below to hear their views.
How much does tuition cost?
Are all schools good schools?
What are some key tips for students to succeed at the PSLE?
All this and more in the full discussion. Watch WED WEB CHAT: PSLE – Too Hard On Students? in its entirety below.
Watch previous wedwebchats: https://storm-asia.com/category/wed-web-chat/
If you have a topic that is of interest, or have someone who would make a good panellist with a thought-provoking perspective on a subject, please email editor@storm-asia.com with your details and a short summary.
