97.5% of students pass PSLE

97.5% of students pass PSLE

By John Leong
POSTED: 22 Nov 2013 15:07
UPDATED: 22 Nov 2013 20:18

97.5 per cent of students who sat for the PSLE this year will be moving on to secondary school, marginally lower than last year's 97.6 per cent. This year is the first time MOE is not announcing the highest and lowest scores across the Primary Six cohort.

SINGAPORE: Students across Singapore received their PSLE results on Friday, and 97.5 per cent of those who sat for the PSLE this year will move on to secondary school.

That is marginally lower than last year’s 97.6 per cent.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said a total of 43,047 Primary 6 students sat for the PSLE in 2013. Of this number, 41,974 students passed.

In this year's cohort, 66.7 per cent are eligible for the Express stream, 19.9 per cent for the Normal (Academic) and 10.9 per cent for Normal (Technical) courses.

This year is the first time the MOE is not announcing the highest and lowest scores across the Primary Six cohort. That is because it wants the focus to be on the students' holistic development.

One student who received her results on Friday is Low Sieu Xin, who had never had tuition lessons until this year.

In September last year, the Bedok Green Primary School student picked up an eye condition which makes her see colours darker than they really are.

Her studies suffered as a result, and that is why her parents signed her up for a PSLE Preparatory Course.

Her excitement on results day is obvious. And her mother has been doing her best to calm her down.

Sieu Xin, who is also the school’s head prefect, said: "I think she (my mother) knows that I'm really nervous and excited, so I think she didn't want me to dwell on things anymore, so she left me alone to do what I want to do."

Low Gek Eng, Sieu Xin's mother, said: "All along she's quite ok, her standard is all right, up to what she wants, so normally I don't really press her."

And Sieu Xin is satisfied with her scores, like many of her friends.

Meanwhile, Sieu Xin's form teacher, Mrs Hsu Seow Yun is changing schools next year.

And the student wants to pay tribute to her mentor, who helped her cope despite her eye condition.

Mrs Hsu said: "The moment I realised that one of her eyes had hindered vision, I immediately shifted her to a position to enable her to see properly in the class."

Mazel Tan, a Primary Six student in Bedok Green Primary School, said: "Sometimes, because of her (Sieu Xin’s) eyesight, she cannot see the words on the board, so I'll lend her my notes to copy."

The Low family will not be celebrating straight away, due to other commitments. But Sieu Xin is looking forward to the coming days.

When asked what she looks forward to the most, Sieu Xin said: “The outings with my friends. I think it's going to be very fun, because everybody is mainly relaxed already after the results."

Sieu Xin has already been offered a place in Temasek Junior College's Integrated Programme, thanks to her preliminary results.

This means she will skip the GCE O-Level exams and go straight to the A-Levels after six years.

Students who are eligible to progress to secondary school can select their school and submit their forms by 3pm on November 28.

The Secondary One posting results will be released on December 20.

- CNA/xq/nd

- wong chee tat :)