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Have you guys been catching up on recent news? If not, here’s a news update regarding a new education system!
The Ministry of Education (MOE) officially announced that the mid-year examinations will be removed for those of you studying in Junior Colleges from 2024 onwards.
The reasoning stated behind this decision is that the spare time can be used to deepen student engagement and support their learning through a variety of experiences.
The MOE also aims for students to focus more on academics instead of testing, similar to the aim of removal of the mid-year examinations in primary and secondary schools.
So how will this affect you? Let’s dive into it!
Less Stress in Terms of Studying
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Since there will be fewer examinations, students will experience less stress. Pressure from exams such as the A levels has been shown to have a detrimental effect on the mental health of them, which may result in anxiety and depression.
Students will also not have to focus so much on scoring As on examinations as much but rather, pace their own time studying and focus on understanding the content they are learning.
Less Competitive
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On top of that, students will not feel the need to compete with their peers as much with this change. With examinations in place, they tend to compare themselves to their peers and get competitive in order to do better than one another.
Students will also not perceive that their worth and whole future ahead are based on their performance compared to their peers, which would create less of a toxic environment and foster more positive behaviours.
More Time for Other Activities
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Instead of spending all of their time focusing on mid-year examinations, students can dedicate more time to other activities such as their co-curricular activities and pursuing their hobbies or passions.
After all, part of the whole reason for the removal is so that students will be less focused on just academics, and expose themselves to different experiences to nurture the creative, passionate sides of them.
Furthermore, students will have more time to spend with their social circles, creating new memories and bonds with them.
This will have a major positive impact on their emotional and mental health, which will also aid them in their academics.
Parents May Be More Anxious
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On the other hand, parents already reported that they were anxious after the announcement of the removal of mid-year examinations for primary and secondary schools.
Therefore, there is a possibility that they may be as, if not, more anxious about this change as the level of difficulty is technically higher in JC.
Some parents will find it hard to keep track of their child’s academic progress when there are no examinations in the middle of the year.
Less results and report cards to review creates fear and anxiety that their child may not be performing well without anything confirming their doubts.
After all, all parents want to see their child score well in their academics and secure a good future.
Parents will also have to moderate tuition sessions for their children so that they do not feel too overwhelmed and stressed. This will in turn lead to their children having more time to bond with their families.
More Family Time
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At the same time, this change is a blessing in disguise for parents as it provides them more time to spend with their child.
Family time is a valuable commodity that can often be overlooked in our busy lives. With work, school, and other commitments, it can be challenging to find the time to spend with our loved ones.
Since there will be fewer examinations, students would not have to study and revise as often.
Therefore, they will have more time and focus on their own support circle, which includes their families.
This will especially help parents who feel estranged from their child or have poor relationships with them, even compared to their teachers.
More Time for Teachers
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Teachers will be able to devote more time and organise more sessions to reteach and answer questions from the students on content that they may still have doubts on.
This will be proven to be more useful as compared to rushing revisions, which creates more anxiety in the students for the mid-year examinations.
On top of that, tests and quizzes will not be reduced, so teachers can still use them as forms of summary about the areas their students perform well in and struggle in.
Lastly, this change will reduce the huge amount of workload for teachers. They will not be required to dedicate as much time marking their students’ examination papers and giving them different feedback.
Conclusion
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This transition to a more holistic educational system enables students to have more room to breathe when studying for their academics as well as have more time catered to other activities that are equally beneficial to their learning.
Whether you are a student, a parent, or a teacher, it will benefit you in some way or another.
With everyone working together, the learning environment will be improved. Both teachers and parents can help students achieve success in both their academics and in preparing for future stages in their lives.
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