TikToker calls PSLE the 'worst thing', labels S'pore education system an 'insidious filter'
A TikToker has shared his views on the Singapore education system, describing the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) as the 'worst thing' and calling the system an 'insidious filter'.
User @leethenomad00 uploaded the nearly three-minute clip on Nov 19 with the caption: "The Singapore education system can do better", discussing ways the system could be improved and its impact on students.
The video has since garnered over 239,000 views and more than 630 comments at press time.
Singapore education system an 'insidious filter'
He began by noting that he was born into a low-income family, attended neighbourhood schools, and eventually achieved straight As in his Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examinations.
While he "gives props" to the local education system as a "social leveller", he also described it as an "insidious filter" that filters students from the very beginning.
"It is all about optimisation, not about growth," he added.
PSLE the 'worst thing'
He continued, saying that in his view, the PSLE is the "worst thing" in the Singapore education system, as "no child should be judged... or examined at such a young age."
Leethenomad00 also revealed that he did not perform well in his PSLE, managing only enough to enter the express stream.
"I know that if a child does not come from a good background, there's a very high chance of not doing well in PSLE," he said.
Instead of the PSLE, he suggested implementing "mini little exams" that allow students to redeem themselves along the way.
He said children from backgrounds like his need "inspiration," "mentorship," and "extra help".
"How can you put a 12-year-old kid through such a difficult examination?" he questioned.
While ministers acknowledged the different pathways in the local education system, he said that Singapore still largely "depends on certificates".
"I am just a black sheep that went on a completely different path," he said.
He concluded that it is time for people to focus on the "fun" in learning, rather than optimisation.
"Let's stop focusing on the policies. Let's focus on the process. It's about principles, not policies," he said. "The moment we try to optimise children, we have done ourselves the greatest disservice. So whoever is in cabinet right now, you know what to do."
'Traumatised' by PSLE
The TikToker, who only wished to be known as leethenomad00, shared with Stomp that Singapore's education system of today "cannot meet the needs of tomorrow" warning that artificial intelligence could replace "80 per cent of jobs" if society continues down the "path of prioritising knowledge certification".
A former Chief Communications Officer of a global tech company, the 28-year-old explained that he was a "black sheep" as he skipped university entirely and gave up a full scholarship.
He shared that he was "traumatised" by the PSLE, crying immediately after his mathematics exam, as his neighbourhood school had not adequately prepared him for such a "tough exam". He added that he also had no access to tuition.
He questioned if this "stress and competition" is even necessary in the first place, saying that "skills, character and values" are far more important than knowledge in the future economy.
"Mentorship, apprenticeship, more time for play and exploration," he said, would shift the focus to the enjoyment of learning. He added that spending less time in the classroom with textbooks and exams would allow greater emphasis on "developing the ability to question, understand, empathise, make decisions, deductive reasoning, and critical thinking".
'PSLE took away so many opportunities from me'
The TikToker's clip sparked considerable debate among netizens, with some sharing similar views while others offered different perspectives.
"PSLE took away so many opportunities from me learning-wise," a user wrote, adding that students in the Normal Academic (NA) stream often received the "worst teachers", while the good ones were reserved for the better express classes. "I had to fight to learn."
Another commented that the local meritocracy is only for the "privileged", a reality instilled from birth.
"Looking back, I find it mad how much impact PSLE had on the rest of my life," one wrote.
Others argued that PSLE is "not the end of the world", with one commenter pointing out that students in the NA and Normal Technical (NT) stream can still progress to Junior College.
