Singapore鈥檚 success-stressing students
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Schoolchildren are paying a heavy price for Singapore鈥檚 success in global education rankings, with rising numbers seeking psychiatric help as they struggle to cope with the relentless pressure for academic excellence.
Children are reporting symptoms of anxiety and stress related to school as early as primary school, experts warned. And there have been extreme cases where pupils have been driven to suicide.
Youths often face long days at school and hours of homework. And then they are pushed by parents to have private tuition, which is having an impact on mental wellbeing 鈥 a recent report found that overall the city鈥檚 pupils reported higher levels of anxiety than average.
Now, in a bid to reduce stress in its schools, Singapore is embarking upon reforms that will scrap some academic tests and change the rigid streaming process.
鈥淲e have to balance the joy of learning and the rigor of education,鈥 Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said when he announced some of the changes in parliament earlier this year.
The move comes at a time when more authorities in Asia are being forced to assess if pupils are being overwhelmed by pressure to perform 鈥 Hong Kong鈥檚 Child Fatality Review listed problems with schoolwork among one of the key reasons for teen suicide.
Japan reported it鈥檚 highest youth suicide rate in 30 years in 2016 and 2017, with officials admitting there is an annual spike on September 1, the start of the new school year.
Singapore has placed education at the heart of its development since independence in the 1960s and now tops the PISA international rankings, a system dubbed the world cup of education, for math, reading and science.
But a study by the OECD, which conducts the PISA assessment, found despite academic success Singapore鈥檚 students reported higher levels of anxiety about schoolwork than other nations.
Primary school children are required to take a leaving exam, regarded by parents and teachers as crucial because success often means access to prestigious schools.
鈥淐hildren are being forced to mature too fast without the relevant foundation and reasoning power to reassure oneself,鈥 said psychologist Daniel Koh from Insights Mind Centre.
鈥淪ociety does not want to allow the luxury of taking it slow.鈥
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