16 October 2018
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung has exhorted Singapore students to develop the spirit of learning as a worthy and fruitful endeavour in itself, beyond academic grades or even qualifications.
Mr Ong stressed that Singapore has become over-reliant on the “security blanket” of examination scores, to the extent that our obsession with grades and quantifiable results has hampered our progress.
The Ministry of Education recently announced sweeping changes to the education system, including fewer mid-year exams and the removal of class rankings from report books.
Mr Ong also hoped that tuition centres do not end up simulating examination-like conditions for students to make up for the lost examinations.
Parents and students are understandably concerned if this would result in a slacking of our education system.
“I am very confident that this is not,” said Mr Ong, pointing out that fewer exams does not mean no exams. Instead, it provides better balance between rigour and the joy of learning.