Saturday, May 12, 2012

Missing 80 copies of English exam scripts (story taken verbatim from ST 12 May 2012 e-paper)

Missing 80 copies of English exam scripts

150 Punggol Secondary students have to retake editing section of mid-year paper

By Kezia Toh

ABOUT 150 students in Punggol Secondary School had to retake a section of their mid-year English test yesterday after some scripts went missing.

All the students from the four Secondary 1 Express classes resat the editing component of the exam which they had first attempted on April 27.

School principal Benedict Keh said that after the exam scripts were collected, they were taken to a holding room.

Teachers who want to get hold of the scripts for marking have to sign for them. They can also take the scripts home.

In the process, the editing component may have been separated from the other sections of the English exam and got misplaced, said Mr Keh.

About 80 scripts of the editing section were reported missing on April 27.

Investigations within the school are ongoing, said Mr Keh, and the matter has been reported to the Ministry of Education.

An ongoing review of examination procedures is also being conducted to ensure that such an incident does not occur again, he added.

'This was a lapse in the exam processes and we are looking into tightening the overall exam procedures,' he added.

In the interest of fairness, he said all the four Secondary 1 Express classes had to retake the section.

The editing component is an add-on to the secondary school exams.

In this new component of Paper 1, students have to spot and correct grammatical errors in a short piece of written text.

This is part of a renewed emphasis on boosting proficiency in grammar and spoken English.

Students typically spend no more than 10 minutes on this part of the paper which accounts for 5 per cent of the total marks.

The management of examinations varies from school to school but some take measures to keep the holding room area out of bounds, even to teachers.

At Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, for example, only the invigilators for the day are allowed in the holding room, which typically is the biggest conference room in the school, said principal Abdul Mannan.

To ensure students stay away, the area is also cordoned off with red-and-white tape.

'I would also advise teachers not to take the scripts home to mark because so many things can happen to the scripts when you take them on the bus or cab,' he added.

Punggol Secondary teachers called the parents of affected students last Friday and over the weekend to apologise.

The parents were informed that some scripts had been misplaced and that their children would have to retake the editing section yesterday.

Parents who spoke to The Straits Times were understanding but want the school to update them on the situation.

One parent, whose 13-year-old daughter's script was not among those which were misplaced, said she appreciated the efforts made by the teacher to call and apologise.

Since re-taking the component would just take about 10 minutes, it is not too much of an inconvenience, said the parent, who did not wish to be identified.

However, she is puzzled over how the scripts got misplaced, and is keen to get an explanation.

'I do wonder how a stack of papers - especially since these are important mid-year exam papers - could have completely disappeared from the school,' she said.

Another parent with a 13-year-old son in the affected batch, who wanted to be known only as Madam Lim, said: 'It is fine as mistakes do happen, so long as after the investigations, the school tells us the reason behind the lost scripts, instead of just letting it slide.'

keziatoh@sph.com.sg

Monday, March 12, 2012

Cash for character sends a wrong signal

By Sandra Davie, Senior Writer

EDUCATION Minister Heng Swee Keat announced a new Edusave award last Thursday - one that he hopes will encourage character building in young Singaporeans. Teachers will nominate students for the annual Edusave Character Awards to be given to those who demonstrate exemplary values and civic responsibility through their behaviour and actions.

Each year, up to 10,000 students are expected to win the award which comes with a cash sum of $200 to $500.

Mr Heng announced that the ministry will also increase the value and double the number of Eagles awards. These are given to those who display leadership or excel in non-academic work, such as in co-curricular activities. About 17,000 students receive the award now. The sums will be raised: from $150 and $200 to sums between $250 and $500, for primary pupils all the way to Institute of Technical Education students.

Like most people who have commented on the initiatives, I welcome the Eagles award for recognising students who excel in the non-academic areas.

I also welcome the principle behind the new character education awards, as this allows schools to recognise exemplary behaviour and hold up role models. As an Education Ministry spokesman said: 'Similar to the other Edusave awards, the monetary award serves as encouragement but is not meant to reduce character and values to a dollar figure.'

But having a cash amount for such an award may inadvertently end up doing exactly that - raising a citizen who expects cash for good behaviour. It sends all the wrong signals.

First, cash rewards turn good behaviour into work. It sends the message that if they are paid for it, then it must be work. Students may also conclude that showing kindness must be difficult or noteworthy, as they are rewarded for it.

A school principal related the instances of good behaviour for which some of her students were rewarded with book vouchers. One student was rewarded for helping an old lady cross the road. Another, for helping a classmate on crutches.

'Aren't these acts of kindness something that should come naturally to all your students? Why the need to reward them with vouchers?' I asked her.

I hope the character education awards given out to students will not be for acts such as returning money found in the school field or helping a disabled classmate. I was brought up to believe that helping others was my duty - and would be loath to have a new generation taught that helping others deserves a cash award.

Giving money to students for character and good behaviour also creates in students a sense of entitlement: They may come to expect to be paid for doing something they should already be doing. It could lead them to expect rewards and recognition when they follow school rules or don't talk in class.

Worst of all, cash rewards cheapen the intrinsic motivation to do good. Good behaviour carries its own reward because it offers students self-respect, confidence, and the feeling of being part of a class grouping or school body that needs and appreciates them.

Rather than resort to giving money, schools and parents can be a little more creative in coming up with ways to reward exemplary behaviour.

Most psychologists and parenting experts would agree that giving recognition encourages desirable behaviour.

Schools and parents can capitalise on young people's natural desire to be praised and get recognition, by highlighting exemplary deeds in class or in the community, and holding up such students as role models to their peers.

A very simple device for teachers is to write a note home, as my primary school teacher used to do. If I performed a good deed, my teacher would note my good behaviour in a 'character report card', to take home to my parents. The teacher would write down in detail what I did and attach a gold star to it.

I still remember how thrilled I was to receive one of these notes for helping a classmate in composition writing.

There was the initial presentation of the note in class, which brought applause and appreciation from my classmates. Psychologists will say that the use of such group rituals is a very good way of recognising and rewarding desirable behaviour.

A second round of positive stroking came when I went home and showed my parents the note. And because it was displayed on the dining table, I received further praise and reinforcement when friends and relatives visited my home.

Buoyed by that experience, I started offering free English tuition to my classmate and her two siblings regularly.

It was a simple note, but one that had real value that lasted. I suspect the feeling would have been different if I had been given money or a book voucher.

Cash is not always the best way to recognise students for their efforts.

As it is, many schools already have simple, effective ways to promote good, kindly behaviour - such as awarding students collar pins and certificates.

Some school heads have said they intend to keep their school-based awards that recognise character and good behaviour, and make the Edusave cash awards the pinnacle awards. This is wise.

I would go even further. I would prefer the ministry to keep its cash awards and come up with other more meaningful ways to recognise good values. For a start, they can encourage schools to come up with school-level awards and fund programmes that do this.

And for the Ministry of Education (MOE)-level Edusave Character Awards, a trophy or medal might suffice. It could be presented at an annual ceremony, perhaps with a video or a booklet that documents some noteworthy acts of character or that shares inspiring stories of students' good or brave deeds.

There is no shortage of creative ways to recognise character and promote the inculcation of good values in schools.

A cash cheque is not the best option.

sandra@sph.com.sg