Initially, I didn't want to comment on the now infamous PSLE Math paper because I didn't want to be a broken record. However, there is this letter by a P6 student in TODAY, which I think is worth saying a thing or two about. The letter I mean is the second one, which starts in the third column with, 'This year's paper has indeed caused much anguish.' Don't know why they like to merge the letters in the on-line version.
This Lee Zhicong, whom I will refer to as a 'he' because the name sounds male (apologies if Lee Zhicong is actually a girl), has written the only 'positive' letter I've seen about the paper. I congratulate him for his optimistic attitude towards challenge. He actually sounds happy that the paper was tough! My guess is that he is a gifted child and has already secured a place in a choice secondary school through DSA. If my guess is wrong, based on his letter, I think we can assume he will do well in all his PSLE papers anyway and hence make it to a secondary school of his choice.
What we must remember, though, is that children like him are in the minority. The majority of children would be worried that their PSLE score will now be affected, in the wrong way, by their performance in the Math paper. And this is not taking into account how well or badly they would have done in the other subjects yet.
He is right to point out that all the marks will be on a bell curve anyway, and that the paper will still differentiate the candidates into various performance bands. However, I would ask if a 'tough' paper is necessary to do all this. Wouldn't a paper with a few tough questions suffice?
As for the other letter, since it's there, I just want to say that I didn't know the PSLE was also a test of AQ. Sure, indirectly, any test or exam will draw on candidates' AQ but surely it can't be an aim of the PSLE? There are other better ways to build up children's AQ and the
'crucial' exam which will determine, in many ways, their future is not the time to 'test' it. And if it is meant to test children's AQ, SEAB should inform parents from Day 1, i.e. when our children start primary school, that the PSLE is not just an academic test but also a test of AQ and so we should prepare our children accordingly.
There were letters yesterday, too, and I agree largely with this one, about how it isn't necessary to make things so tough for all the kids.
Another letter here.
Picture source
This Lee Zhicong, whom I will refer to as a 'he' because the name sounds male (apologies if Lee Zhicong is actually a girl), has written the only 'positive' letter I've seen about the paper. I congratulate him for his optimistic attitude towards challenge. He actually sounds happy that the paper was tough! My guess is that he is a gifted child and has already secured a place in a choice secondary school through DSA. If my guess is wrong, based on his letter, I think we can assume he will do well in all his PSLE papers anyway and hence make it to a secondary school of his choice.
What we must remember, though, is that children like him are in the minority. The majority of children would be worried that their PSLE score will now be affected, in the wrong way, by their performance in the Math paper. And this is not taking into account how well or badly they would have done in the other subjects yet.
He is right to point out that all the marks will be on a bell curve anyway, and that the paper will still differentiate the candidates into various performance bands. However, I would ask if a 'tough' paper is necessary to do all this. Wouldn't a paper with a few tough questions suffice?
As for the other letter, since it's there, I just want to say that I didn't know the PSLE was also a test of AQ. Sure, indirectly, any test or exam will draw on candidates' AQ but surely it can't be an aim of the PSLE? There are other better ways to build up children's AQ and the
'crucial' exam which will determine, in many ways, their future is not the time to 'test' it. And if it is meant to test children's AQ, SEAB should inform parents from Day 1, i.e. when our children start primary school, that the PSLE is not just an academic test but also a test of AQ and so we should prepare our children accordingly.
There were letters yesterday, too, and I agree largely with this one, about how it isn't necessary to make things so tough for all the kids.
Another letter here.
Picture source
Comments
X-tongfang
Ya, it must have been really tough on most of the children and I wonder if the setters consider this carefully enough. I mean, you would expect that after 6 years in school, you would at least find the exam 'ok', right? It doesn't have to be easy, but it should be manageable, I think.
I hope D was alright for the rest of the papers.
My husband's suggestion was to have a 'bonus' section if they want really hard questions. Those who attempt and get them right will get bonus marks.
I know this "Lee Zhicong" of whom you speak. I was actually his(He's a boy =)) classmate last year, and yes, you are right that he has done extremely well in his PSLE (we were in the GEP programme) and he is now here with me in ACS(I).
I must agree that the PSLE paper last year was hard, and that some students actually cried(in my school, at least)as they were unable to complete the paper on time, let alone check their work or do well.
I myself managed to finish the paper(Zhicong did, too), but this thought occurs to me. If the 'bell curve' that Zhicong spoke of did have an effect on student's score, then the more gifted students(no offence) who are able to score full or close to full marks would set the standard for the highest score for the whole cohort.
Isn't this unfair to the other more average students who could not finish the paper? It is like having to compete against someone of a higher standard than you.
My suggestion is that people who have higher abilities(again, no offence) e.g. GEP etc take their own paper seperately, so that that lone genius in any particular subject would not set such a high standard.
The bonus marks of which you speak is unfair to those students who have not been taught in that particular area, which further reinforces my idea of having a seperate paper for special ability students.
28-4-08
JonW