Much like eating durian for the first time, the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is an important milestone in a Singaporean’s life.
Boys and girls sitting for the PSLE have to use all the knowledge they have gained in their six years of primary education in a series of notoriously rigorous tests before they advance to the next phase of their education.
Given how important this national exam is, missing it could leave one feeling like they had wasted a whole year.
But that’s exactly what happened to over 400 students this year, and it’s all thanks to COVID-19.
Over 400 Students Missed PSLE Paper This Year Due to COVID-19
1.1% of students who registered for the PSLE this year ended up missing at least one paper due to coronavirus-related reasons.
This amounted to around 430 students, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said yesterday (1 Nov).
It could have been even worse, as another 840 students were on quarantine orders during their exams. Fortunately, all tested negative, and 690 of them managed to sit for all their written papers.
P6 Pupil Missed PSLE English Paper As PCR Test Results Did Not Come in Time
Early last month, it was reported that an unfortunate Primary 6 pupil missed a PSLE paper for the most frustrating of reasons: a late polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result.
The student’s mother had brought her to the doctor for a stomachache, but the doctor ended up testing her for COVID-19 as they’d found signs of respiratory infection.
Her PCR test result eventually came in negative, but it did not come quick enough, meaning the student had to miss her PSLE English paper.
The Primary 6 pupil was not a close contact of a COVID-19 patient, meaning she would have been able to take the English exam if she hadn’t gone to the doctor.
Protocol For Those Who Miss an Exam
As Mr Chan explained, students who miss a national exam can apply for special consideration, as long as they have a valid reason.
If approved, these students will be awarded projected grades “through a fair and rigorous evidence-based methodology”, he said.
These grades will be based on two main factors, namely:
- the student’s past exam results for the affected subject
- the student’s cohort’s performance in national and school-based examinations
“All special consideration applications are assessed on each case’s merit, to ensure that the grades awarded are as accurate and fair as possible,” the Education Minister said.
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Featured Image: Facebook (Chan Chun Sing)