The Commonwealth O-level secondary education system was part of Singapore since her birth. Over years the O-level system has become more Asian then Western in that “major exams” has become the focus of our secondary education system. Performing badly in O-level exams has become so unacceptable that a student would loss almost all his educational fortunes and be left with very few progression options. Only students with academic distinctions are assured of promising future.
O-Level System Is Exams-Centric
The exams-centric O-level system has been dream-killer for many students, especially for those who are neither academically-inclined nor exams-smart. One example was the demotion of Chinese language in the 1970s. For students who originally took Chinese as the language medium for exams, some were unable to switch over to English language academically. They soon became school dropouts after the O-level exams.
The O-level secondary education system places so much emphasis on one single final exam that it created uneven loading on students, especially on the 3rd and 4th year before the O-level exams. It has become norm for secondary schools to cover the full 4-year syllabus within 3.5 years so as to reserve the last half year for exams related activities, such as revision, prelim exams, practicing papers from other schools and more exam drills. Essentially, an O-level student only gets 3.5 year to study the full 4-year secondary curriculum.
Deficiencies Of O-Level Exams System
As students are tested mostly on the last 2 year of their learning, the uneven loading is most noticeable in secondary 3. Students are required to swallow the 2-year syllabus (3rd and 4th year) within 1.5 year. The only way to achieve this is to cover beyond 60% of the combined content in 3rd year. Pressure is exceptionally high in secondary 3 and most students are left with very limited time to digest, internalize and integrate their learning. Those who are not able to cope will be required to either repeat their secondary 3 or be transferred to the Normal stream (N-level system).
4th year is equally stressful for students as the Prelim plus O-level drills consume great deal of their last 6 months of secondary education. It deprives them from having quality time to digest, internalize and correlate their concepts in learning.
Peripheral Systems Intensify Pressure
Over years several peripheral education systems were created around the O-level, mainly to ensure more accurate exams grading on students before and after O-level. The N-level system was meant to ensure that only academically qualified students could move on to O-level. Improved score counting systems were also put in place, such as the L1R5 and L1R4 counting system for students with different score range. There is also bonus deductions system for passing higher mother tongue and outstanding co-curricular activities (CCA) records.
Bypassing O-Level Exams
Interestingly the N-level system was the first education system to allow Secondary students to bypass O-level. It was designed for academically weak students to progress to Institute Of Technical Education (ITE) without O-level. Students who do well in the N-level system can progress further to Polytechnic and thereafter University to obtain their Bachelor Degree. In essence the N-level is the pioneering system to bypass the supreme O-level system.
Unfortunately the N-level system was not designed to help the academically weak to improve in their study. It is neither concerned with ensuring smaller student-to-teacher ratio nor providing students with supplementary mentor-tutor assistance. Instead, it inherits all the deficiencies of the O-level system and has become another exams-centric system for grading purpose.
Doing Away O-Level Exams
In recent years there were some serious efforts to do away the O-level exams. 2 systems were successfully put in place and have won overwhelming praises among educators, parents and student. One is the 6-year Integrated Program (IP) leading to A-Level. The other is the 6-year International Baccalaureate (IB) program leading to Diploma.
The IP system is specially designed for those who are academically strong. These students are bright and they do not require the O-level exams as they are able to internalize and integrate their learning independently. These students proceed straight through into JC as the goal of O-level is not working for them.
On the other hand, the IB system is designed for those who are talented in non-academic subjects, such as sports and arts. Students from schools with IB system are well-known for their non-academic achievements.
Examining The Relevance O-Level Exams
Today, the 6-year secondary education programs (IP and IB) are considered far superior then the O-level system. By doing away O-level exams, students under IP and IB systems gain a lot more time to learn beyond O-level. Students who perform badly in IP and IB systems are allowed to repeat. This uncomplicated approach is much better than the O-level system of transferring weaker students to N-level.
Unfortunately majority of our secondary students are still under the O-level system. While the bright students under the IP system spend minimum time on exams and maximum time on learning, the average students are still spending maximum time on stringent O-level exams and minimum time on learning. In other words, the average students who need more time to cover their 4-year syllabus are not given sufficient time, while the bright students who are in fast track have so much extra time that they are learning far beyond the O-level.
It has become the hope for students and parents that the relevance of O-level exams be examined thoroughly. The academically weaker students who wish to pursue their dream need a better system to allow them to spend maximum time in learning. Given a better system with sufficient time to study, these students would understand the syllabus better and excel.