“HUGE LOGISTIC EXERCISE”
Asked whether MOE has observed early signs of the policy’s benefits, Mr Chan said students are interacting more with peers of different abilities. Students now also have greater flexibility to take subjects at levels that match their capabilities.
However, he cautioned against excessive parental pressure to push children towards G3 in every subject. “We don’t want a situation whereby the parents keep telling the kid that you must always strive for G3 regardless of your interests and abilities,” he said.
Subject-based banding requires significant resources, with Mr Chan describing it as a “huge logistic exercise” involving mass customisation, as students attend different classes according to their abilities.
Secondary school students now also have to be more independent, as this model mirrors that of tertiary education, where there may be gaps in a student’s timetable.
This shift also promotes self-directed learning, giving students opportunities to engage in independent study, pursue their own projects or take a break, Mr Chan said.
While MOE has seen indications of a positive mindset shift, Mr Chan acknowledged he is “under no illusion” that it will take time for society to embrace the value of diverse strengths.
He urged Singaporeans to stop comparing students against one another, as they are also competing with the rest of the world.
Looking at Singapore’s scores for the Programme for International Student Assessment, 80 per cent of students are above the global average, said Mr Chan.
“There is absolutely no reason why our students should feel down or out. But if we keep making our students compare themselves with one another … there’s always a winner or loser.”
The real benchmark, he said, is how Singapore students perform globally.
ELITISM AND THE ALUMNI SYSTEM
Mr Chan also responded to questions about elitism in schools and whether the alumni system contributes to such mindsets.
Elitism can exist in schools whether they have strong alumni systems, he said. “Even if you are in a so-called top school … but if you make a conscious effort to reach out and to prove your naysayers wrong, then you have every right to tell them that you are not elitist.”
Society will “never be fully equal”, but Singapore will strive to be more egalitarian, he said.
“As long as you’re born in Singapore – you may not have an equal chance, and there may never be a situation where everybody has an equal chance to succeed – but you will have the best chance.”
