The downsides to Singapore’s education system: streaming, stress and suicides

Singapore’s education system is reputed for producing children who top the world rankings in standardised tests. The city state took first place in the last Pisa (global education rankings.

Run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Pisa tests, conducted every three years, are intended as a measure of problem-solving and cognition. Yet Singapore’s superiority in the rankings may be coming at an equally high price.

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Children in the Lion City experience high stress levels from primary school as a result of competitive pressure from schools and parents. It’s arguable whether the perfect scores produce adults who are critical thinkers or merely rote learners, and concerns have been expressed about a lack of development in behavioural and social skills.

In 2015, there were a reported 27 suicides among 10- to 19-year-olds in Singapore, double that of the previous year and the highest for more than a decade, according to the Samaritans of Singapore. In May 2016, an 11-year-old boy jumped to his death from the 17th floor of a flat block, fearful of sharing his exam results with his parents. It was the first time the child had failed a subject.

The problems inherent in Singapore’s education system will be familiar to Hongkongers. Both cities have large class sizes, are highly competitive, and focus on rote learning and test results, with a culture of extracurricular private tutorials.

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Hong Kong’s student suicide rate is also cause for concern. A report commissioned by the government, made public early this year, revealed that 71 students took their lives between 2013 and 2016.