It’s official now. The T-score system will be replaced by the Achievement Levels (ALs) system.
It seems heated debates have been erupting across Singapore about whether the change will actually reduce stress on students (and their parents). That is understandable enough, for national policy changes in our country have never failed to trigger mass intellectual exchanges from canteens to kopitiams. The thing many do not realise though, is that ‘reducing stress’ is actually not the official reason for the change…
Here are the official reasons (source: moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle):
- Singaporeans shared their preference for a more holistic education system.
- The changes are part of a larger shift to better nurture well-rounded individuals.
- We hope this will encourage more students to discover their strengths and interests, as well as strengthen their values, knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the future.
So, the question really, should be about whether the ALs system will be a better platform for producing well-rounded individuals. Before we can get to that question, we have to first understand what being well-rounded means.