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Parents raise questions if SAEB have adequate checks on new digital marking system in light of anomalies

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2 years ago

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SINGAPORE — 11 parents wrote a forum letter to express their disappointment toward Singapore Examination and Assessment Board(SEAB) which discouraged their appeal to review their kids’ Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) mathematics paper.

The group of parents of graduating Primary 6 students from Nan Hua Primary School trust the quality of the marking by qualified, independent markers and reviewers.

But they doubt if adequate checks are in place for the new digital system as too many anomalies have been reported.

In a reply to parents’ letter, SEAB claimed it had “rigorous processes” in place to ensure that the PSLE papers are set according to the syllabus at “appropriate standards”.

Parents shocked to find their children scored below previous achievement

Earlier this month(1 December), a letter written by a group of parents and published by Lianhe Zaobao,  said their children had always scored 95 marks and above for their maths exams in school, or the equivalent of Achievement Level (AL) 1.

But for this year’s PSLE maths paper, they were shocked to find that their children had scored AL 3, AL 4 or AL 5.

“If a single child’s carelessness caused them to stumble on the exam, we have nothing to say. ”

“But when almost a third of the students in the class have a similar score gap, it’s hard not to be puzzled,” parents expressed their doubt in the letter.

Parents were told success rate of past appeals was “almost zero”

When appealed to the Ministry of Education (MOE) and SEAB to review the exam papers, parents were told that the success rate of past appeals was almost zero.

In which the parents feel it might be implied that SEAB strongly discourages parents from appealing as the system has “never gone wrong”.

“At the same time, we were also told that parents can only see whether the sum of the scores of each part of the appeal subject test paper is correct, but cannot see the answer sheet of the student’s test paper.”

Hence, there is no way to verify whether factors such as card reader failure or stains on the answer sheet could lead to the supposed discrepancy.

“If SEAB ignores parents’ calls to check the answer sheets and simply dismisses it with an excuse that the system is always accurate, this kind of operation without transparency may not be convincing to people.”

SEAB started using digital marking for all PSLE subjects this year

In another article, Zaobao noted that this is the first year SEAB started using digital marking for math subject test papers.

Students answer the question via pencil, and the test paper will be digitalised for teachers to score the paper.

Some parents raised their concerns that if there are possible errors arising from this new process and whether the scoring system had been thoroughly inspected.

Lee Yi, one of the parents who endorsed in the complaint letter, told Zaobao that her daughter was confident in the math exam but shocked when learned that she only got AL 3.

Ms Lee later learned that other math-savvy students were also puzzled about their results.

She said parents have no intention to judge the marking procedure, but they are worried that the scanning system might have non-human errors since this is the first year SEAB is using the digital marking process.

SEAB: panel ensure that there is a consistent balance of easy, average and difficult math questions

Responding to queries from Channel News Asia on 8 December regarding the parent’s complaint, SEAB said the performance in the 2022 PSLE maths examination is similar to that of 2021 across the ALs.

SEAB said the panel of exam reviewers also includes experienced teachers and specialists from MOE and SEAB, and they ensure that there is a consistent balance of easy, average and difficult questions across the years.

“Candidates can submit their appeals for subject grades through their schools to SEAB, ” the board added that there are established appeal processes for candidates who think their grades do not reflect their expected achievements.

“During the review of results, an independent senior marker conducts a thorough review of the marking and checks the accuracy of mark entries, ” the board said.

For the math paper, SEAB stressed that full credit will be given to any solution used in the PSLE maths paper if it demonstrates the correct application of concepts, specifying that this included the use of algebra to solve problems.

However, SEAB’s response to CNA of the similar performance in the 2021 and 2022 maths examinations made parents are wondering if the scores are moderated as everyone recalls last year’s paper is a lot more challenging.

Parents and kids upset over tough PSLE maths last year

While SEAB claimed that performance in the 2022 PSLE maths examination is similar to that of 2021, some parents and students might still recall that last year PSLE maths was a lot more challenging.

One parent even shared that she received a tearful call from her daughter after the test, saying it was more difficult than she had expected.

One of the parents, Mrs Tan, told Strait Times last year that the new PSLE Achievement Levels (AL) scoring system had mounted pressure on pupils sitting difficult exams.

Madam Gina Teo also shared that her daughter returned home saying she had given up on entering the school of her dreams as the paper was the toughest she had ever encountered.

“All my friends were left speechless after hearing how hard the paper was from their children and that many were unable to complete their papers. We knew that the PSLE mathematics paper would be hard but they should have set the difficulty at the same level as last year’s paper, ” she said.

Regarding the challenging maths question, SAEB said last year that all examinations have a range of questions with “varying difficulty” that cater to the wide range of abilities of our students.

“We would like to encourage all students to stay the course and be reassured that having done their best, there will be multiple pathways of success.”

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Police investigate assault on Qihua Primary School student after video surfaces online

The police are investigating an assault on a Qihua Primary School student after a video showing the attack emerged online. A teenager is seen repeatedly hitting the boy, prompting concerns about student safety. This is the second bullying video to surface within a week, with a similar incident involving Bukit View Secondary School reported earlier.

Published

2 weeks ago

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24 September 2024

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SINGAPORE: The police are investigating a case involving a student from Qihua Primary School, who was repeatedly attacked by a teenager.

The investigation was launched after a video of the incident emerged online, the authorities confirmed on 23 September.

According to a report by CNA, a formal complaint has been lodged with the police, and the investigation is ongoing.

The video, which lasts approximately 43 seconds, has been circulating on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

It shows a teenager, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, physically assaulting a smaller boy wearing a school uniform from Qihua Primary, located in Woodlands.

In the video, the victim is cornered in a stairwell, where the teenager punches, kicks, and hurls him to the ground.

The aggressor orders the boy to put his hands behind his back before delivering punches to his stomach.

At several points, the boy is grabbed by the neck and thrown to the floor, where he continues to endure kicks and punches.

Throughout the attack, the boy repeatedly says, “Sorry, sorry, I won’t do it again,” while being taunted by the teenager and another individual, who may have been filming the incident.

At one point, the teenager can be heard asking, “You want to fight? You sure?” as the victim, now in tears, continues apologizing and insisting he will not repeat his actions.

The exact timing of the incident remains unclear.

Video source: Telegram/sgfollowsall

Qihua Primary School has acknowledged the situation, confirming that it is under police investigation.

“The safety and well-being of our students is our priority. We have provided counselling to the affected students and are working closely with their parents to ensure the well-being of all involved,” the school stated.

They further emphasized the importance of students looking out for each other and reporting any incidents of bullying to their teachers.

Second Bullying Video Emerges Within a Week

This incident marks the second time a bullying video has surfaced online in a week.

A separate TikTok video, posted about a week ago, showed a student from Bukit View Secondary School being taunted and kicked to the ground by a group of teenagers.

Bukit View Secondary School’s principal, Jaswant Singh, told The Straits Times that the incident occurred in October 2023 outside of school premises and was not initially reported to the school. The parents of the victim have since lodged a police report.

Following the video’s circulation, the school immediately checked on the victim, who did not report any injuries.

Mr Singh emphasized the school’s serious stance on such behaviour, stating that the students involved would be counseled and face appropriate disciplinary actions.

The victim’s parents have since lodged a police report. The police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing regarding the bullying incident.

In response to a Parliamentary Question filed by Melvin Yong, Member of Parliament for Radin Mas SMC, in September 2022, the Education Minister noted that since 2013, the number of reported bullying incidents has remained consistent, with approximately two cases per 1,000 primary students and five cases per 1,000 secondary students each year.

He emphasised that the MOE takes a serious stance on bullying and collaborates with schools to send a clear message that hurtful behavior is unacceptable in any school environment.

Helplines

If you or someone you know is in need of support, the following helplines are available:

  • Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
  • Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
  • Institute of Mental Health (24 hours): 6389-2222
  • Tinkle Friend (for primary school-aged children): 1800-274-4788

You can discover a directory of global helplines on this page.

If someone you are aware of is facing an imminent threat, please dial 24-hour emergency services.

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Singapore to expand Higher Mother Tongue access in secondary schools from 2026

Singapore will allow students who excel in their Mother Tongue Language at the PSLE to take Higher Mother Tongue in secondary school starting in 2026, regardless of their overall PSLE score. The new policy is part of broader efforts to promote bilingualism and strengthen linguistic proficiency.

Published

3 weeks ago

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16 September 2024

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SINGAPORE: From 2026, students who perform well in their Mother Tongue Language (MTL) at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be eligible to study Higher Mother Tongue at Secondary 1, regardless of their overall PSLE score, announced Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing on 14 September.

Under the current system, only students with an overall PSLE score of 8 or better, or those with a score between 9 and 14 who also achieve an AL1 or AL2 in MTL, or at least a merit in Higher Mother Tongue (HMTL), can qualify to take HMTL in secondary school.

However, from 2026, eligibility will be based solely on their MTL performance.

Students will be able to study HMTL if they score AL1 or AL2 in MTL or attain a distinction or merit in HMTL at the PSLE, regardless of their overall score.

Mr Chan, speaking at the 2024 Mother Tongue Languages Symposium, emphasised the importance of supporting students with linguistic strengths.

“All of us have different strengths and talents. Some students may be strong in languages but not in other subjects,” he said.

“We will support more of these students to take Higher Mother Tongue, so they can learn their MTL to as high a level as possible.”

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to promote bilingualism, which Mr Chan described as a “cornerstone of Singapore’s education system” and a key aspect of Singapore’s national identity.

He noted that bilingualism not only helps to strengthen the country’s social fabric but also enhances cognitive abilities, such as empathy and the understanding of different perspectives.

In a related development, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced the launch of the MTL SOAR programme, which will begin in 2025 for Primary 1 and 2 students.

Under this programme, 30 minutes of the Mother Tongue curriculum will be allocated to reading and library activities, with the initiative to be extended to all primary levels by 2029.

The programme aims to support diverse learners by providing supplementary reading materials tailored to different proficiency levels.

Mr Chan highlighted the programme’s adaptability, explaining that “those who are stronger in mother tongue proficiency can read more books that are richer in content and be stretched in their learning, while those who need more support will have books that are more accessible for them.”

Additionally, as part of a pilot programme, MOE will extend the daily Mother Tongue curriculum at MOE Kindergartens from one hour to 1.5 hours, beginning with the 2025 Kindergarten 1 cohort at MK@Hougang and MK@Elias Park.

The pilot will be gradually expanded to more kindergartens.

The series of initiatives follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally speech in August, where he acknowledged concerns about declining standards in Mother Tongue proficiency and announced plans to enable more students to take Higher Mother Tongue in secondary schools.

Mr Chan underscored the cognitive and cultural benefits of bilingualism, stating, “The ability to speak two languages and understand two cultures enables us to maintain a strong link to our heritage and forge connections with people around the world.”

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