Should we remove Direct School Admission
from the education system?
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
Pictures of our people were taken by Meenakshi Selvamuthukumar
Chair
Chair
Should the government regulate
the tuition industry in Singapore?
Head Chair
Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme was introduced in 2004, allowing students to secure early placements in their desired secondary schools and Junior Colleges before taking national examinations like the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and GCE O-Level examinations respectively. With its implementation, the DSA system allows for reduced emphasis on academic developments and achievements, and a more holistic assessment of students' abilities, encompassing both academic and non-academic talent. The DSA system provides an opportunity for students to pursue their interests and passion whilst simultaneously honing their skills in the relevant areas. However, there has also been rising concerns about the inequality in access to resources for students in Singapore to develop their academic and non-academic talents, which then questions the inherent effectiveness of the DSA system. Is DSA still relevant in today’s society? Hence, taking into consideration the role and the original objectives of the DSA scheme to diversify options in education and recognise a broader range of talents, representatives will discuss if this objective has been compromised in today’s educational landscape, and explore if the removal of DSA as a whole would be an ideal outcome for our education system.
With a bustling 1.4 billion-dollar tuition industry, questions have risen over the past few years if Singaporeans rely excessively on tuition, and if this is then a concern that needs to be addressed. The primary purpose of tuition is to support students who require additional assistance in their educational journey. The popularity of tuition today can be attributed to its many benefits, such as allowing for personalisation, catering to each student’s learning needs and concerns, and focused attention on individual students, something that a school curriculum can overlook due to large classroom sizes. In addition, it also bridges learning gaps and simplifies learning processes for students. However, in recent years, there have been rising concerns about the excessive reliance on tuition to provide students with a competitive edge over their peers, fostering unhealthy learning environments along with increased academic pressure. In addition, the high costs of tuition create the potential for unequal playing fields to emerge along socio-economic lines. The current situation begs the following questions: is there a need for our government to regulate the tuition industry? What aspects should be targeted? Are there alternative approaches to this issue? Representatives will have the opportunity to discuss the role of the tuition industry in our society today, and whether it falls in line with the value of meritocracy we aim to uphold in Singapore.
Chair
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