SINGAPORE — Policymakers must put themselves in the students' shoes in shaping education policies, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (May 15), pledging that his ministry will continue to develop a variety of pathways and opportunities in the education system.

While some have called for "bold moves" — such as abolishing the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), or removing the practice of segregating students into different classes based on their academic results — these may not reflect the preferences of a majority of students and their parents, he said. Bold moves cannot be made recklessly, he cautioned, lest they "undo what had worked and served students well in the past".

For instance, it cannot be assumed that all secondary school students want to be in the Express stream, said Mr Ong who took over the entire education portfolio from this month, having previously overseen higher education and skills.

"Some prefer the pace of learning in the Normal streams. Many will tell you they prefer to be a big fish in a smaller pond, rather than a small fish in a bigger pond. Many students in the Normal (Technical) course also like the more applied and hands-on curriculum, which they feel plays to their strengths," he said.

Similarly, some parents support the PSLE system for spurring their children to work hard and demonstrate what they have learned throughout their primary school years, said Mr Ong. They see the assessment as an "objective and transparent way" to decide which secondary schools their children should go to, he said.

Mr Ong added: "We need put our ears close to the ground, and listen to the voices of all segments of Singaporeans. And if we listen close enough, we will also realise that the 'voice of the people' does not deliver a singular message – rather, it offers a diversity of views, conflicting and complex, even as they remain compelling."

As part of a wider shift to move away from an over-emphasis on academic results, the T-score system in the PSLE will be replaced with eight broader "achievement levels" in 2021.

"I am confident that this will reduce the stress of students and help them enjoy learning more. This is a big step," said Mr Ong.

Meritocracy cannot be confined to academic excellence, he stressed.

Citing a Chinese saying, Mr Ong said: "Why would an entire army cross a river via a single plank? Why can't we have many pathways to success?"

"(If) success is defined narrowly as being a university graduate holding a professional or managerial position, then pathways will be limited, possibilities reduced and opportunities curtailed," he said.

Through the SkillsFuture national movement, which Mr Ong refers to as "one of the best counters against inequality", the Education Ministry wants to help individuals discover their strengths and build different pathways to help them achieve skills mastery.

The Republic has made some progress, but a lot more needs to be done, he said.

"Today, we can celebrate our children choosing to be a coder, cyber security expert, chef, event organiser, creative designer, hospitality professional, nurse, early childhood educator, film-maker or craftsman. And they have to go through the requisite training, not necessarily in a university. This is not the case," he said.

But there is room for even more opportunities in the education and training system, said Mr Ong.

Nevertheless, employers' hiring and human resource practices have yet to "wake up to this new mindset", he said. "Societal mindset will take even longer to evolve. We will continue to improve our policies and we will not stop at these measures… We will actively look out for fresh ideas, and try new solutions. If we come across an interesting and promising approach, we will be prepared to consider it, develop it further, run a pilot programme and see how it works.," he said.