The MOE has announced important Singapore education system changes from 2019, which will be applicable to primary and secondary schools. The information was released in a press release on 28 September 2018.
These new Singapore education system changes include:
- Reducing the number of school-based assessments
- Refreshing the holistic development profile
- Revising the Criteria of Edusave Academic Awards for Lower Primary
Singapore education system changes #1: Reducing the number of school-based assessments
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All exams and weighted assessments for P1 and P2 will be removed from 2019
Currently, there are no semestral examinations for P1 and no Mid-Year Examination (MYE) for P2.
From 2019, all weighted assessments and examinations for Primary One (P1) and Two (P2) students will be removed, and assessments conducted will not be counted to form any overall mark or grade.
This includes removing the year-end examination at P2. Teachers will continue to leverage assessments to check for students’ understanding, and provide timely feedback to improve learning.
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Mid-year exams (MYE) for P3, P5, S1 and S3 removed over 2019-2021
Mid-year examinations for P3, P5, S1 and S3 will also be removed over the next three years (2019 to 2021), starting with the removal of MYE at S1 in 2019.
This is because these are the transition years when students are exposed to more subjects and expectations. These measures will provide adequate time and space for children to adjust to the increased curriculum demand.
- In addition, besides the MYE and year-end examination (at levels where this is applicable), schools will conduct no more than one weighted assessment per subject, per school term, for all levels starting from P3 to S4/5.
- Scores from weighted assessments count towards a student’s overall result in a subject for the year.
Each weighted assessment may be assigned different weightings and can take various modes, e.g. class tests, quizzes, presentations, group projects.
Singapore education system changes #2: Refreshing the Holistic Development Profile
There will be changes to the Holistic Development Profile (HDP), or the ‘report book’.
From 2019, the HDP will no longer present certain academic indicators such as class and level positions of the students.
This is to enable each student to focus on his/her learning progress, and discourage excessive peer comparisons. Since P1 and P2 will have no exams and weighted assessments from 2019, MOE will guide schools to use qualitative descriptors to report students’ learning at these levels.
For the other levels, where marks are used to report students’ learning, these will be rounded off and presented as whole numbers, without decimal points.
Information to be removed from HDP by all schools from 2019:
a. Class and level position
b. Class and level mean
c. Minimum and maximum marks
d. Underlining and/ or colouring of marks for subjects failed
e. Pass/ fail result for end-of-year HDP
f. Mean subject grades
g. Overall total marks
h. L1R5, L1R4, EMB3 and EMB1 for Lower Secondary levels
Information to be retained with modification
Individual subject marks rounded off to whole numbers, with individual subject grades based on the rounded off whole number marks.
Information to be retained
- Conduct grade
- Personal qualities with ratings
- Form teacher’s comments
- Involvement in community-based and co-curricular activities
- Physical Fitness (e.g. Body Mass Index, National Physical Fitness
Award) - School Attendance
MOE hopes that with these changes, the reporting of each student’s progress in various domains will be better balanced, reducing excessive focus on marks.
Singapore education system changes #3: Revising the Criteria of Edusave Academic Awards for Lower Primary
The criteria for the Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB) for P1 and P2 and Edusave Good Progress Award (GPA) for P2 and P3 will be revised.
The selection of the EMB and GPA at these levels will no longer be based on academic scores, given that weighted assessments in P1 and P2 will be removed.
Instead, the eligibility criteria for P1 and P2 EMB and P2 and P3 GPA will be adjusted to recognise positive learning orientations such as diligence, curiosity, collaboration and enthusiasm in daily lessons and learning activities.
Criteria for EMB in 2019 will be:
• Singapore Citizen
• EMB will be adjusted to award students who consistently demonstrate good learning orientations
• Good conduct will continue to be a criterion
• Monthly household income does not exceed $6,900
(or per capita income does not exceed $1,725)
Criteria for GPA in 2019 will be:
• Singapore Citizen
• GPA will be awarded to students who do not qualify for EMB, but have shown improvement in learning orientations within the year
• Good conduct will continue to be a criterion
Also READ: 7 Changes to Singapore education system you should know this year!
(Source: MOE)