http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120913-0000059/No-more-banding-of-secondary-schools
The banding of secondary schools purely by academic achievements will be abolished starting this year, while the Ministry of Education (MOE) has pledged to raise the quality of teachers and reach out to parents to be supportive partners to "deliver the best for our children".
Implemented in 2004, banding works by grouping schools according to their average O-level scores into nine broad bands, which some felt would perpetuate a single-minded pursuit of academic excellence.
Schools were also relieved of "chasing awards" - as some among the public may see it - by deconstructing the hierarchy of awards that schools aim for each year.
The MOE has tackled issues over the past year at the two bookends of the education system - university places and pre-school - and Mr Heng yesterday set his sights on addressing the perennial feedback of an overly-stressful education system.
MORE HOMEWORK NOT ALWAYS BETTER
Schools have to better coordinate the amount of homework given to students, said Mr Heng.
A one-size-fits-all guideline by the MOE will not work as children learn at different speeds and schools have to communicate to parents on their homework policy.
"Schools should not be apologetic about giving homework," said Mr Heng.
"But it does not follow that more homework is always better." Homework ought to be on the idea of quality rather than quantity, he added.
He cautioned against excessive tuition, which undermines the spirit of perseverance as students "look for ready answers rather than struggle to understand". MOE can play its part by not contributing to the need for tuition.
Educators should also set realistic tests and examinations, said Mr Heng, who noted anecdotal feedback that schools have set a harder test to "wake up" their students who are underperforming. The MOE will be studying how assessments can be pitched appropriately and better guide schools in setting questions, he added.
Even while addressing these concerns, Mr Heng stressed that the education system must have "sufficient rigour and strength". "The key for us is not to reduce stress to zero, but to strike the right balance," he added.
PITCHING HOMEWORK TO SUIT STUDENTS
Educators and parents TODAY spoke to welcomed Mr Heng's message. "It touched the heartstrings when he urged all to reflect on the crux of the matter - what do we really want for our students," said Edgefield Primary School principal Willy Tan, who agreed that examination standards and homework must be set according to each child's abilities. "There could be external pressures from societal or parents, schools will then need to communicate more to parents on the idea behind initiatives," added Mr Tan.
Tampines Secondary School principal Balamurugan Krishnasamy noted the difficulty could come from balancing parents' expectations and implementing the measures effectively. To assure parents, he suggested an arrangement where the amount of homework is pitched according to students' learning profiles.
Parent Jennifer Chow is glad to know that measures will soon be taken to ensure more meaningful homework and assessment practices. She noted how her two primary school sons were given scores of worksheets just before the start of school holidays or spelling tests just days apart from each other. "In the end, we just end up rushing through everything, then what's the point?," she asked.
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