Reducing exams does not mean education system will start to slacken: Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE – The move to reduce exams in schools does not mean that the education system will start to "slacken", stressed Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on Wednesday (Oct 3), as he also urged tuition centres not to "undo the work" to reduce students’ stress and the emphasis on grades.

Speaking at the Singapore International Technical and Vocational Education and Training Conference on Wednesday (Oct 3), Mr Ong said that there is a tendency to assess a child’s performance based on examination scores, but education goes beyond that.

“As a system and society, we have been over-reliant on this security blanket. Before it smothers us, we need to start to withdraw it somewhat, and focus on the true spirit of learning,” he added.

Still, he acknowledged there are two key issues some parents may be apprehensive about and sought to allay concerns.

"The first is whether this is the start of the system starting to slacken and lose its rigour. I am confident that this is not," he said.

Though the Ministry of Education (MOE) is reducing examinations by 25 per cent, Mr Ong pointed out that this is done through a "calibrated way, not removing them entirely". He added: "We are achieving a better balance between joy and rigour with this change."

He also advised students that doing away with some exams does not mean "there is less or no need to study". Mr Ong noted that the move will free up about three weeks of curriculum time every two school years, and teachers will use the time to teach them better and not rush through learning just to prepare students for examinations.

"So, take this opportunity to study well and enjoy school and learning more," he added.

ASSESSING RIGOUR AFTER CHANGES

Asked by reporters on the sidelines of the event how the MOE will assess rigour following the changes, Mr Ong said without exams for Primary 1 and 2 students, both teachers and parents will have to really understand the child's learning progress, “and by understanding the child deeper, you can actually have more qualitative inputs and qualitative assessments”.

As part of the changes, Pri 2 students will no longer have to sit for the year-end examinations from 2019. Currently, they do not have to take the mid-year examinations, while Pri 1 students do not have mid-year or year-end examinations.

Mid-year examinations for students in Pri 3, Pri 5, Secondary 1 and Sec 3 will also be removed in phases from next year.

For each of these levels, the ministry is merely removing one in four exams, and given that students still need to sit for other tests as well as the year-end examinations, Mr Ong noted that rigour will continue “to be upheld”.

“Remember we are starting from a point of very high rigour and now we are just calibrating it to have a better balance between the joy of learning and rigour,” he added. 

As part of the changes, report cards will also no longer reflect students’ class and level positions, as well as overall scores. 

CONCERNS OVER TUITION CENTRES

The second concern which parents have is whether schools or tuition centres will undo the change by introducing other forms of assessments that are similar in nature but "are not called examinations", Mr Ong said. These include common tests and mock exams.

While "we can worry less about the schools" undoing the change since it is a "concerted shift by the entire education system", there is greater concern about tuition centres, he acknowledged.

Following the announcement, Mr Ong said that some tuition centres have expressed intentions to "simulate examination-like conditions for students to make up for the lost examinations".

"I strongly urge them not to do so," he said. "Doing so would just be preying on the apprehension and anxieties of parents and students."

Instead, they should work with the ministry and try to understand why the changes are important to better prepare students for the future, as well as to assure parents. "Don't undo what we intend to do," said Mr Ong.

Mr Ong revealed that the MOE was “worried” about the reactions following the announcement last week. He was, however, “relieved and grateful” that many parents who wrote to him and the ministry have expressed support, saying that the move was a step in the right direction.