X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

'Why make PSLE 2019 such a nightmare': Singapore mum asks Education Minister

3 min read
'Why make PSLE 2019 such a nightmare': Singapore mum asks Education Minister

A Singapore mum was so upset at the difficulty of this year's PSLE math paper that wrote an open letter to Education Minister Ong Ye Kung about PSLE stress...

It’s that time of the year again. Hapless 12-year-olds are sitting for the national exams that’ll either make or break the next few years of their academic progress — the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE).

It should go without saying that PSLE is a stressful experience for both students and parents alike.

This year, one Singaporean mother was so upset at the difficulty of this year’s PSLE math paper that she took to Facebook to write an open letter to Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.

PSLE Stress: ‘Why make PSLE 2019 such a nightmare’

In a recent Facebook post, Serene Eng-Yeo called a math paper “harrowing” and complained that it left her child “defeated, crushed and utterly demoralised” when he sat for it on Friday (27 Sep 2019). 

Dear Minister Ong, Our society talks about mental health issues being on the rise and of late a newspaper report… Posted by Serene Eng-Yeo on Sunday, 29 September 2019

 

According to Eng-Yeo, the exam was markedly more difficult than the preliminary exam that her son’s school had given him.

Eng-Yeo said that her son had walked out from his preliminary exam feeling “empowered and encouraged that he could do the paper”.

In contrast, her son was “dumbfounded” after the actual PSLE math paper and was not able to do most of the questions in Paper 2.

The Paper 2 examination consists of five short answer questions and 12 long answer questions which account for a total of 55 marks.

The questions in Paper 2 are usually longer and more complex than those in Paper 1, which is made up of multiple-choice and short answer questions worth 45 marks.

Eng-Yeo also questioned Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) on the need to set such a tough paper and pointed out the consequences that it would have on students’ mental health.

She wrote: “You only need to set and mark the papers. But it is the scarring that you have inflicted on your future generation that the parents have to see through and undo.

“Make it challenging. Make it doable, I agree. But what I don’t understand is the cruel decision to make it so unreasonably tough that children came out crying, deflated, demoralised and crushed.”

SEAB Responds about tough paper

Eng-Yeo’s post struck a chord with many parents, who agreed that the exam this year was too difficult.

psle stress

Photo: Screengrab/Facebook

On the other hand, others argued that there was no issue with having a difficult paper since all students would be graded fairly.

psle stress

Photo: Screengrab/Facebook

Ong did not respond to Eng-Yeo’s post at the time of writing.

Following complaints from other parents about the math paper, a SEAB spokesperson told AsiaOne that questions in the national exams are based on topics within the syllabus.

According to the spokesperson, the exams “assess students’ ability to understand and apply concepts”.

“For each national examination, there will also be a balance of basic, average and challenging questions so that the overall standard of the paper is maintained from year to year to cater to a wide range of student abilities.

Partner Stories
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTU Singapore and Marshall Cavendish Education Collaborate to Develop Online Courses for K12 Educators
NTU Singapore and Marshall Cavendish Education Collaborate to Develop Online Courses for K12 Educators
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers With 3M Girls Can Tinker Program
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers With 3M Girls Can Tinker Program

“We also want to emphasise that PSLE is just one of the many checkpoints in a child’s education journey. We encourage all students to continue putting in their best effort and focus on their remaining papers, and we urge parents to continue giving their children their fullest support.”

The PSLE written examinations 2019 started on Sept 26 and will end today, Oct 2.

This article was republished with permission from AsiaOne.

Also READ: PSLE Is A Check Point, Not An End Point

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

asiaone

  • Home
  • /
  • PSLE
  • /
  • 'Why make PSLE 2019 such a nightmare': Singapore mum asks Education Minister
Share:
  • PSLE 2019 Timetable: Important Dates And Times To Note

    PSLE 2019 Timetable: Important Dates And Times To Note

  • Parents, You'll Be Surprised By The PSLE Results Released This Year!

    Parents, You'll Be Surprised By The PSLE Results Released This Year!

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • PSLE 2019 Timetable: Important Dates And Times To Note

    PSLE 2019 Timetable: Important Dates And Times To Note

  • Parents, You'll Be Surprised By The PSLE Results Released This Year!

    Parents, You'll Be Surprised By The PSLE Results Released This Year!

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.