Someone sent me this letter. This letter is from the mother of a TOP student.
Today newspaper forum - Letter from GUO WEIFU
My son, a top student, returned home shattered after difficult PSLE maths paper.
THIS year’s PSLE mathematics paper has caused many students undeserved anguish.
Their reactions, including that of the good and gifted ones, were one of despair and discouragement upon encountering problem sums that were set beyond their capabilities. Some even broke down right after the examination. My son is in a top class. Mentally strong and confident in mathematics, he returned shattered boy after the exam. I immediately checked with friends and teachers from other classes and schools, and the same story was heard. Although schools have been equipping pupils with the skills of applying mathematical concepts, many could not complete half or more of the problem sums.
Is there a huge gap between expectations and ability?
In the mind of a child, he has either failed or done badly. With his confidence ripped by the mathematics paper, how can a child recover in less than 24 hours to face the next paper?Tearing children apart mentally at a developmental stage snuffs out the joy of learning. The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) had previously said “the exams were a means to differentiate students of diverse abilities by setting questions of varying difficulty levels”. It stated that an examination paper should be comparable in difficulty from one year to the next and “teachers know how to prepare their students for the examinations”.
SEAB also stated that different teams of experienced setters, moderators and examiners conduct several rounds of checking of each question and for the paper as a whole.
The fact different teams are involved is no consolation as it may be a systemic failure from pegging the paper at too high a standard. For some parents and students, education is seen as a source of mental torture.
All I ask is this: Please give the children of Singapore the confidence to face their future with a lion’s heart. Whaddaya think???
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