In the pursuit of becoming an educational hub, Singapore strives to maintain its competitiveness in this ever-modernizing society by adopting an academically rigorous education system. under this system, we use the terms 'failures' and 'distinctions' as a yardstick in schools to measure the standards of each student. However, only recently there have been a war of words regarding the need to address the academically weaker students as failures. Is it truly necessary to label certain students with such demoralizing word?
Failure if defined meant the state of not meeting the desired outcome or objective. Upon seeing it from the schools perspective, labeling certain groups certainly creates a line between the 'distinctions' -academically stronger students- and the 'failures' -academically weaker students' and makes it easier to teach each group. Some claimed that by dividing the students according to their strength in academics, more focus can be ascribed to certain weak individuals and thus this can promotes accelerated growth for both groups.
However, is it truly so? I am of the opinion that there should not have been any kind of classification among students, especially as young as primary or secondary. Such classification may cause detrimental effects on the students. They may take an emotional toll from the constant demoralizing from both teachers and their parents. As such, weak students may develop low self esteem and worse, lack of confidence in achieving their goal. As they become used to being discouraged, they perceive success as no longer achievable and thus lost the motivation to study. Would not this outcome be the exact opposite of the purpose?
Our education system, with full accolades need to shift away from the notion of simply passing and failing. A bleak picture painted was weaker students being passed over, and eventually being denied of priority in education. Therefore more attention and resources should be directed to the weaker students. By doing so, They will be encouraged to do well and strive to achieve that objective.
