The days of December are fast coming to an end and the countdown has begun for another brand new year. The year-ends are always enticing and tend to put us in a state of nostalgia. We reminisce, reflect and recollect all the significant events of the year that has gone by. This year was pretty eventful with regard to education in our country. There were a number of significant changes that were announced, many of which would radically alter the way things are going to be done in the years to come. As we bid goodbye to 2019, let us take a look at a few of this year’s most significant incidents in education
The major PSLE tweak
The announcement of the changes in the PSLE scoring system was undoubtedly the most important event that occurred this year in the field of education. The Ministry of Education announced a new scoring pattern that would make use of Achievement Levels (AL) instead of marks. The new system is set to kick in 2021-22 and Primary 5 students will be receiving their grade cards based on the new pattern starting from the next academic year.
The rationale behind this move is to reduce the heightened (and often demoralizing) competition among students, reduce fine differentiation between students at an early age and put an end to the over obsession with marks.
Doing away with the mid-year exams
The overemphasis on academic results is now being increasingly recognized within policy circles. In addition to tweaking the PSLE scoring system, the Ministry of Education also announced its decision to do away with mid-year examinations for Primary Levels 3 and 5 as well as Secondary Levels 1 and 3. This move would help reduce the pressure on students and help them in making transitions during their academic journey from primary school to secondary school. It would ensure an extra three weeks of curriculum time every two years. This can be utilized for incorporating more creative learning measures. On the whole, this move has the potential to reduce stress among students, decrease academic burdens and make learning more effective.
Bursary spending hike in Polytechnics and Universities
Motivated by the desire to increase the accessibility of the lower-income sections to higher education, the Government of Singapore announced a significant hike in its spending towards the bursaries of polytechnics and universities within the nation. As per the new changes, students from the lowest 20 percent household income group will have to pay $400 less for education in polytechnics and $2,200 less for education in universities on a yearly basis. Students from the same income group who pursue courses in medicine or dentistry will now have to pay less than $5000 a year. These changes are expected to benefit more than 20,000 undergraduate students in universities and more than 30,000 students in polytechnics.
Increasing access to quality pre-school education
A move to increase the accessibility to pre-school education was also made this year. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) announced a cap on the fee charged by partner operator pre-school centers. From January 2021 these centers would be permitted to charge only $760 per month for full-day childcare and $1,330 per month for infant care services excluding GST. The ECDA also announced plans to increase the number and reach of partner operator pre-school centers.
Phasing out streaming at the secondary level
After around four years of placing secondary students into different streams, Singapore has decided to end this practice. By 2024 all secondary students in Singapore will be made subject to full subject-based banding. The subjects will be taught at three levels into which students will be placed based on their strength in a particular subject. This move has been taken after considering the change in the present-day situation when compared with the scenario forty years ago when streaming was first introduced. It is set to increase the range of knowledge among students and take away the stigmatization of streaming.
The year 2019 brought in significant changes in education in Singapore. There were moves aimed at increasing accessibility and enhancing student welfare. Let’s hope that the years ahead see our educational institutions continue their good run and excel even more in their pursuit to educate and empower students.
Regardless of the changes that we go through, be rest assured that 88tuition will be with your child every step of the way! 🙂
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