About 160 participants, including parents, educators, students, academics and industry leaders, took part in MOE’s first public engagement session on 27 June to discuss how Singapore's education system can move beyond its long-standing focus on academic grades. Discussions centred on reducing the high stakes of examinations such as the PSLE, reviewing the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, and strengthening Character and Citizenship Education and co-curricular activities to better support students' holistic development. Education Minister Mr Desmond Lee said MOE would carefully study all suggestions as part of its ongoing review of the education system. Constance Han, a second-year Environmental Science student at NTU, shared her own educational journey from the Normal (Academic) stream to ITE, then SP where she studied Applied Chemistry, before entering university. She said her experience shows that PSLE results do not define a person's future, adding that reducing exam pressure allows students more space to discover and develop their strengths.
Singapore Polytechnic
500 Dover Rd Singapore 139651