Assess a student’s potential not just by grades, but by character and personal qualities: Sun Xueling

SINGAPORE — Schools, parents and employers should look beyond grades and certificates when assessing students and candidates, and dig deeper when determining their potential by looking at other markers such as character and personal qualities, said Minister of State for Education Sun Xueling in Parliament on Thursday (Sept 3).

Though the Ministry of Education (MOE) has taken the lead by reducing school-based assessments and making changes to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system, these changes will be successful only if they are accompanied by a broader societal mindset shift, she added.

Ms Sun, who is also the Minister of State for Social and Family Development, was speaking on the fourth day of a parliamentary debate on the President’s Address.

She raised the example of the Direct School Admission (DSA) programme as one way students are able to showcase their talents in sports, performing arts and other areas, to progress to the next stage of their education.

However, Ms Sun cautioned that such programmes cannot “solely rely on tried-and-tested methods” such as using certificates which show demonstrated achievements to determine a student’s success and talents.

“This would only serve to transfer the competition for results from the academic arena to the non-academic arena, with better off parents being more likely to send their children for extra training in DSA areas,” she said.

That is why MOE has introduced changes to the DSA programme over the years to ensure that schools adopt a more holistic outlook when assessing a student’s abilities.

For instance, in the area of sports, schools have been encouraged to not zero in on specific athletic abilities, such as the ability to dribble or serve a ball, but to also look out for natural abilities such as agility, coordination and speed.

Schools should also take note of students’ character and personal qualities, such as resilience, compassion and leadership, when assessing students for the programme, she added.

When identifying talented individuals, schools should consider students from a wide range of schools so that more are given the opportunities and pathways to succeed.

“We recognise that the process in trying to identify students’ potential in a particular DSA area is inevitably less straightforward than simply checking if they have demonstrated achievements in the past,” said Ms Sun.

“But if we truly believe in expanding opportunities for all, then we have to try.”

Mr Darryl David, Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency, agreed with Ms Sun that Singapore’s education system should move its focus away from the academic.

Other than calling on MOE to move beyond “exam-based academics”, Mr David also said in his speech on Thursday that Singapore should expand the definitions of success beyond academic achievements and celebrate individuals who excel in non-traditional areas such as sports and the culinary and performing arts.

For example, in the area of the performing arts, he called for more scholarships and bursaries for people who have interests outside of the classical arts.

“I would love it if one day we had a Singapore pop phenomenon who succeeds at the global level and we should celebrate this achievement because they have brought the Singaporean name to a global international level,” he said.