PSLE - Finally Over!

Last week and earlier this week, WY sat for his PSLE.

According to him, the language and Science papers were ok and not too tough, but the Maths paper was a killer. There were several questions which he didn't know how to do at first but managed to figure something out eventually (not sure if answers were correct or not?); there was also one question which he couldn't complete on time.

That the PSLE Maths paper was incredibly difficult is not new; almost every other year, we would hear in the news how some parents would cry foul over such 'unexpected' toughness in the Maths problems. Then, such complaint would inevitably progressed into an argument of sorts as to whether the education system here is 'healthy' etc. What absolute watse of time such ranting always is!

I looked at the Maths question posted on some online forum and found, to my dismay, that I don't seem to be able to work it out myself! Perhaps, if I tried harder using whatever mathematical concepts and skills that remain with me today, I might be able to find a solution somehow. But then, I didn't try harder.

Whatever it is, it looks clear that if this is the type of questions that they pose in the PSLE, the authorities are obviously expecting our 12-year-olds to be calculating at at least the Sec 2 level of our yesteryears (our time). How else could anyone expect the children to be able to apply algebra and simultaneous equations etc, all at one go, to solve this one (out of 18) questions?!

I really hope WY has done well enough to get a decent score. Not only for Maths but all papers. I am not speculating how many 'A's or 'A*'s he will get, but I hope that whatever the results may be, he will remain optimistic and motivated on his learning journey. The PSLE is but only the 1st stop; there are many more to go.

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The current 'headache' for R and myself is the question: SOTA or not?

We have an appointment with the school this Friday for a discussion - we want to know better of its IB Diploma curriculum and assessment schemes etc. Also the music education aspect of schooling there.

Hopefully, we find some answers there and can decide wisely whether or not to proceed with SOTA at end October (decision must be made by then because this is a DSA process!).