RANKING OF SCHOOLS

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Education whether yearly ranking of schools by examination results only has led to unhealthy competition between schools and exerted unnecessary pressure on teachers and students.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the ST 100 ranking of schools provides parents with information on the top 50 secondary schools (about one-third of the total number of secondary schools) for the Express course and the top 40 secondary schools for the Normal course. The ranking is based on the average score of their pupils in the GCE `O' level examinations. The report also highlights the special characteristics and achievements of the schools in sports, cultural pursuits and other extra-curricular activities (ECA). Besides this, the report lists the top value-added schools. These are schools which have achieved better results than expected judging from the PSLE results of the pupils when they were admitted to the schools.

My Ministry also provides every primary six pupil with information on all secondary schools in terms of their location, special characteristics, the range of PSLE scores of past pupil intakes, ECA provided, etc. The school profiles and the ST ranking enable parents and pupils to make informed choices of secondary schools to suit the pupils' ability and interests.

The achievement of schools is not measured solely by their performance in the examinations. Also important are the activities carried out by the school to nurture the physical, moral, aesthetic, social and emotional growth of their pupils. Programmes are conducted to develop talent, build character and foster leadership and team work. My Ministry frequently reminds schools of the importance of providing a balanced education and monitors school activities to ensure that the pursuit of academic excellence is not achieved at the expense of other educational objectives. I announced recently that participation in ECA will be recognised for admission to junior colleges and the polytechnics.

Our principals and teachers work hard to help their pupils to develop to their fullest potential. They are not merely engaged in competition with other schools. Whilst the ranking of schools has led to increased competition among schools, it is debatable whether such competition is healthy or unhealthy. To improve further, our schools need to know the quality of their pupil intake, how they have performed in terms of academic results and ECA, how they compare with other schools, what realistic targets to set and how to go about trying to achieve them.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, will the Minister clarify what are the criteria set out in the ranking system, besides the examination results?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: The ranking is mainly based on the performance in examinations. As I have mentioned, it is based, for example, on the average scores for all the subjects taken by all the pupils. There are also other information provided like the percentage of 5 'O' level passes and so on. But the report also highlights other activities, eg, whether they excel in particular sports or in cultural activities and so on. The problem is that parents and the public in general tend to focus only on the academic side without realising that the performance of schools depends very much on the quality of the pupil intake. They should really look at the value added. In other words, have the schools added value? Have they taken in, for example, average students and done well eventually?

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, the Minister has said that the ranking criterion is mainly based on examination results. Would the Minister consider having a set of criteria by taking into account other achievements of the schools, ie, the average score for the ranking rather than rank the schools based on examination results alone? There is no use in having the report and characteristics when parents do not really look into that.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, it is a fact that most people tend to look at the academic results and the performance. And this is not wrong, I think. But it should not be just focused on that area. We should be looking at the total development of the pupils. Unfortunately, when you compare ECA, it is very difficult to say this particular activity should be given so many points and that activity should be given so many points. What we have done is to list out, for example, how many gold medals the school has achieved and in what fields. This is done in a qualitative manner. I think it is very difficult for us to assign marks or scores for the other areas.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, does the Ministry conduct any survey in regard to pressure on teachers and students because of the ranking, in which the schools are most concerned with the results of the examinations and thus some teachers do put a lot of pressure on the students concerned?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, the Ministry has not done any formal survey to study the effects of the ranking in terms of pressure and so on. But we do get feedback, eg, on whether schools are over emphasising the examination results, getting pupils to focus on certain subjects and not taking others. When we come across such cases, we remind the schools that they should really look at the total development of their pupils.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, does the Ministry have any information or statistics on the feedback which the Minister mentioned in regard to some schools over emphasising on academic results, resulting probably in an unbalanced education system?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: As I have mentioned, when we do come across such cases, we try to tell principals not to over emphasise the academic results and that they should really look at the total development of their pupils. So it is on a case by case basis. For example, there were reports of some schools which reportedly have told their pupils to leave the school because their performance was not up to the grade. We have told the schools that they should not do that. They are responsible for all the pupils.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, how does the Ministry monitor the schools in regard to whether the schools are having a balanced kind of education for their students or having put too much pressure on the students, resulting in some unhealthy practices?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, this question of too much pressure is very difficult to measure. I think a certain amount of pressure is essential. There must be competition. Singapore has to compete. The schools have to compete in order to improve. But we do have inspectors, for example, who go round to different schools and we do have feedback from parents, pupils and teachers. So we are constantly monitoring the situation.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, is there any formal kind of monitoring system?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: I am not sure how it can be done. If the Member has some ideas, I will be happy to consider them.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Sir, in view of what the Minister has said that it is the overall development that is more important, would the Minister consider doing away with academic ranking and just have a qualitative report of the best 50 schools without ranking them academically, but ranking them as the best 50, including academic and other activities, but not giving them a rank as number one, two or three?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, whether you list it out in order or not, I think the parents will tend to go for the top schools. For example, even for the JCs, there are 14 JCs and they are not reported as first, second or third, in terms of academic performance. But the readers will tend to go in and say, "This school is top and that school is not top." I think the ranking has certain pluses and minuses. On the plus side, the schools are more alert. They focus on the academic side which is, after all, an important element of schooling, ie, whether the students have mastered the areas which they are supposed to study. What we want to do is to try and avoid over emphasis on that and also focus on the other areas and, therefore, we should give a total picture including the other areas of activities.