WP’s Abdul Shariff: Relationship with our son is more important than PSLE results

SINGAPORE: On the eve of his son sitting for the first paper of his PSLE exam, Workers’ Party politician Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim shared his thoughts on Facebook on the pressures the exam puts on the relationships between parents and children.

“The run-up to the exam has been a stressful one despite all that has been said and done about it — the switch from the T-score system to the AL, moving away from an over-emphasis on academic results; recognising children’s level of achievement regardless of their peers’ performance; and the multiple pathways to success. I believe many parents feel that way too,” wrote Mr Shariff, who had been part of the WP slate that contested at East Coast GRC during the last General Election.

He admitted to having struggled with finding “the right words” to tell his son and the “sensible courses of action” for the boy to pursue.

Mr Shariff also acknowledged that he could see that the pressure his son was feeling came more from him and his wife rather than the exam, adding that many times they “came close to inadvertently telling him he’s good only if he does well for the exam.”

“We might even have undermined his natural curiosity by imposing on him a learning regime tailored for excelling in exams. His protests that it was boring were interpreted as indiscipline, not a legitimate feedback. It’s hard to not develop tunnel vision when confronted with a high-stakes examination,” he added.

After a time of reflection, he realized he only had this to tell his son: just do your best.

Because of this difficulty, Mr Shariff wrote that he wishes that a 10-year through-train option from Primary One to Secondary Four, which the Workers’ Party has proposed in Parliament, was available for students.

That way, “His and our experience as parents might have turned out to be more meaningful.

As for now, the PSLE remains a very important milestone in a child’s education. But, even then, what’s even more important to me is my relationship with my son.

Wishing parents and children who are facing the PSLE this year: All the Very Best!”

In March, WP MP Jamus Lim brought up a “Flexible Through-Train Program for Schools,” designed to help students who find tests stressful and learn at a suitable pace for them.

He characterized the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) as a high-stakes test that “could instill in a 12-year-old that sense of make-or-break at a tender age” and asked if this is justified.

“Is it a building block that can imbue an early sense of accomplishment and independence, or is it more a stumbling block for their self-confidence?” he continued.

The through-train route that WP proposed, conversely, would allow families the option of greater flexibility for their children. /TISG

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