School big revamp of Primary education

An ambitious overhaul is being planned for primary education

, to nurture students who love learning, are exposed to a wide variety of experiences and equipped with the skills to tackle life's challenges. It is a key sign of the shift away from a system that has emphasized exams despite complaints from parents and students that this had led to undue stress. Some concrete proposals are that all government schools go single sessions by year 2013, more new schools be built and another 60 upgraded . The aim is to produce independent, confident and adaptable students for the future. To prepare them better, we have to build in effective learning tools where they will enjoy the process of learning. The way subjects are taught will have to be changed, especially in the first two years of primary schools. Language teaching will see more emphasis placed on a student's ability to speak well, honed , for instance through speech and drama, song or recitations. The role in literary arts can play as part of the holistic education of student gifted in music, dance, theatre and the visual arts. Creative writing is at the heart of our literature in English curriculum, where language is developed with the use of literature. During literature in English classes, students are trained to be readers as well as writes. Beside, schools also devotes resources to nurturing students' interest in creative writing.

Mathematics will be more activity-based, with investigative tasks to give more accurate feedback to students, teachers and parents so that they truly understand the concepts. For instance, teacher throws a spanner in the works to encourage problem-solving. A Primary 2 class that was given a budget to set up stalls in a market had all the banners they made destroyed. Students had to come up with ideas on how to recreate the banners with the few resources they had- a few pieces of mahjong paper and coloring materials. Teachers will be given the flexibility to pace the science curriculum and use more engaging learning approaches. Schools believe that by giving students the opportunity to be exposed to learn new skills, it will shape their character. They will become more confident and resilient, and better learners at the end of the education system. With the new emphasis on all aspects of learning, it made sense to replace the two big exams a year for Primary 1 and 2 students with mini-tests after each topic is taught. This way, students can ease into schools and learn to enjoy it. To provide a more holistic picture of how a child is faring, teachers will be asked to give parents feedback on progress, strengths and weaknesses , rather than just test scores.

School big revamp of Primary education

By: YOKE FONG

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