It is official – the primary school system as we know it will change. Exam no more; at least for primary 1 and 2 students.

The Ministry of Education has announced that it has accepted recommendations made by the Primary Education Review and Implementation Committee – the most highly anticipated of which  - doing away with examinations in the first two years of Primary Sch. 

While this will be implemented across the primary schools over several years, some schools have already gone ahead and taken exams out of the curriculum for their lower Primary pupils. 

Mr Yeo, father of  an 11-year-old girl whose school had done away with formal exams at primary One welcomes this move. He says, “We should look at this as a new approach to looking at the potential of each child. Every child is different, Each has their own gift. At such a young age, many would not surface their innate talent that a formal exam is structured to identify.” 

He went on to say, “Children need time to grow, time to explore, and those who experience learning without the “threat” of exams are more likely to experiment and explore. They will not be hindered by the “penalty” of not doing well for the exams.” 

Mdm J Judisun, mother of a Primary 1 child also welcomes the move. 

She says, “While some parents see the move to scrap exams as a cause for fear more than cheers, I welcome this move totally. Lower primary, especially P1, is to me, an orientation year to school life. Diving straight into major exams is hardly a winning method to allow these young minds to approach learning with passion and perseverance. 

She adds, “I feel MOE’s proposed move will allow time and space for teachers to formulate more creative and meaningful methods to engage these young individuals; by breaking down major exams into periodic assessments,  not only do they impart academic knowledge but also values and social skills that will help nurture our children into confident and well-balanced individuals.” 

New father Mr Sim agrees, “Yes, I feel it is a good thing. At that age, some kids may not have gotten a grasp on the concept of examinations and classifying them into streams based on exams has actually put them on the wrong track way too early.” 

Mr Sim also feels that it will be a much fairer system which continually assesses children as they learn. 

Mother of four pre-schoolers, Mrs Sasha Apap summises it neatly with, “The less they focus on academics and standings, the better I feel about throwing my kids into they system.” 

Many parents we spoke to feel that learning isn’t just about exams. Learning should be about the child gaining knowledge and the love for learning is something that needs to be instilled in our children.

Pre-school teacher Ms Kaithri says, “They should focus more on the social and emotional well-being of the child as he makes that transition to primary school; and cultivate the passion for learning. Self-motivated learners start young for life long learning.”

Singleton Ms C Chen who developed her love for learning outside of the school system says it best, "Learning shoud be fun and not be about standings."

There were however some parents who feel that delaying exams by two years is exactly what it is – delaying the experience. They feel that it may even disadvantage some pupils in the long run. 

Mrs Siow, mother of 5-year-old girl doesn’t believe that postponing the exams by 2 years would do much good. She says, “Why delay it? They will have to go through exams anyway, so why not just introduce it at Primary 1 and give the children more time to get used to the exam system. If they pass they pass, if they fail, they fail. It is all a learning experience anyway.” 

Mrs Tan, mother of a 4-year-old boy agrees that it is just a matter of timing. She says, “Before, even kindergarten pupils sat for examinations, but now that has been removed. Now, we’re pushing that to Primary Three. Isn’t that just delaying the experience? Eventually they still have to sit for the exams.” 

- Family.sg