MOE’s de-emphasis on exams: Pupils from low-income families may be disadvantaged

I read with concerns the implications of the Education Ministry’s initiatives in removing tests and exams for certain primary and secondary school levels, notably during transition periods along the education route.

Mid-year examinations for students in Primary 3, Pri 5, Secondary 1 and Sec 3 will be removed in phases from next year, and for each of these levels, the ministry is removing one in four exams.

My worries were confirmed when I read the report, “The Big Read: No exams? No problem! Some tuition centres rush in to fill gap, soothe anxious parents” (Oct 13).

While there are good intentions by the Government to reduce the narrow focus on grades, I am worried about its impact on students from less-privileged families.

Firstly, the de-emphasis on exams would only exacerbate worries for parents that their children may not be well-prepared for the national exams. For parents with the means, they may just increase the frequency of tuition classes for their kids, while children from less-privileged backgrounds will be disadvantaged because they lack fewer opportunities to prepare themselves for the examinations — the outcome of which is a means to better social mobility in the future.

In short, children from well-to-do families have many options, while children from low-income households have fewer choices.

I hope the ministry will have plans to mitigate the effects of the changes on students from low-income families, notwithstanding the good intention to place less focus on grades.