We live in a world filled with competition. The average Singaporean parent is conscious about this and devotes a good amount of attention towards making sure that his/her kids are best prepared for this world. What has this resulted in? It has led to a greater emphasis on academics. Consequently, our kids are among the best equipped with regard to academic skills and educational infrastructure. But has this come at a cost?
It is easily observable that we have developed an obsession with marks and a related increase in anxiety levels. While we maintain exceptional academic standards, there is an opinion that we have to concentrate more on the aspect of student well-being.
The obsession with marks
The obsession with marks has turned into a major problem today. We have given such a great pedestal to marks that many of our kids feel worthless and utterly destroyed when they fall behind their peers. Many feel like they have disappointed their parents. Some are scarred for life.
How serious can the consequences become? Clearly, we are late in acting against this problem. Anxiety levels have surged within our households, affecting parents and kids alike. Our kids are being put under enormous pressure and not all of them might be able to handle it. Our households, classrooms and tuition centers are unintentionally enforcing these tendencies. Globally, the incidences of depression and other grave emotional disorders are on the rise. The obsession with academics has enormous potential to push our kids into such conditions.
Going beyond marks
Is education equivalent to scoring high marks? No, it is not. Ironically, most of us know that. Education should be a holistic process, developing the individual both intellectually as well as emotionally. Student well-being is intricately linked to proper emotional development.
Thankfully the policy apparatus in Singapore has taken cognizance of the situation and certain remedial measures are going to being rolled out soon. The Ministry of Education has announced a new PSLE grading system which will kick in from 2021 which would definitely help reduce the undue emphasis on marks at tender ages.
How student well-being can produce better results?
Concentrating on student well-being might not necessarily reduce the academic competence of our kids. Recently Microsoft conducted an experiment within its workforce in Japan by implementing a 4-day workweek. What was the result? There was an increase in productivity by 40%! This points to the fact that reduced anxiety and more attention to well-being can improve results. The same goes for our kids. Reducing anxiety would not as some of us doubt cause a fall in learning outcomes. Rather it can make learning a more enjoyable process and make education holistic.
What can be done?
There are various things that can be done at different levels. Let’s start at home. Parents should spend quality time with their kids and engage in conversation with them. Get to know your kids better. Make them comfortable and let them know that you don’t measure their worth solely based on the marks they score.
In schools, the conventional classroom system can create a great deal of pressure. More activity should be introduced in classrooms. Strong and dedicated courses on life skills should be incorporated into the curriculum. Proactive counselling cells must be established. Extra tuition is almost a constant fixture for our kids. Here as well we need to be more cognizant of student well-being.
Innovative learning methods that can curb anxiety must be pursued. Apart from activity-based learning, online learning is a good method in this regard. Using online educational videos grants students more control over the learning process. It also takes away the normal pressure associated with the classroom.
Education should prepare our kids not merely to earn a living in this world. It should also teach them something about ‘how to live’ in this world without getting overwhelmed or underwhelmed by what happens around them. Concentrating more on improving student well-being can help us do this. As we strive a great deal to make our kids acquire the best brains, let us also give equal importance in our endeavour to help them gain the most happy hearts.
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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