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Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)


radical

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This week was the release of PSLE results.

 

I did mine years ago and was unhappy I couldn’t make it to the Express Stream. PSLE is indeed a difficult national exam.

 

I felt the discrimination and stigma being a Normal stream student. The PSLE score is something one would live with for the rest of his life after that dreaded exam.

 

I felt inferior having did worse than many others. Each anniversary during this time of the year when PSLE results release, on tv and newspaper, I feel disturbed and unhappy my colleagues start talking about PSLE and about their children, friends’ children, other P6 students etc. Yeah so many did way better than me and even went to really prestigious schools. 
 

For those who didn’t do well like me, do you also feel bad being a normal stream student? Does any one else feel disturbed or have regrets about PSLE years after completing it?

 

I think I should stop being upset over it since I can’t change the past and my PSLE score.

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I didn't do well academically for my PSLE and went into Normal stream but did well enough in my Sec 1. to move to Express. I don't feel bad about being a normal stream student TBH, i mean who really cares about stuff from 30 years ago (for me.). You have better things in life now, and be thankful for them. You have your health, friends, and family. So quit obsessing over grades from your childhood and grow up.  

Love. 

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38 minutes ago, radical said:

This week was the release of PSLE results.

 

I did mine years ago and was unhappy I couldn’t make it to the Express Stream. PSLE is indeed a difficult national exam.

 

I felt the discrimination and stigma being a Normal stream student. The PSLE score is something one would live with for the rest of his life after that dreaded exam.

 

I felt inferior having did worse than many others. Each anniversary during this time of the year when PSLE results release, on tv and newspaper, I feel disturbed and unhappy my colleagues start talking about PSLE and about their children, friends’ children, other P6 students etc. Yeah so many did way better than me and even went to really prestigious schools. 
 

For those who didn’t do well like me, do you also feel bad being a normal stream student? Does any one else feel disturbed or have regrets about PSLE years after completing it?

 

I think I should stop being upset over it since I can’t change the past and my PSLE score.

most people look down on normal stream stream students. This stigma will be there forever. It is not uncommom for aunties and Office Ladies to gossip and snigger at people who are in normal stream..they will say..'aiyo..do u know so and so was from normal stream leh..no wonder his work is below average and is not a director after so manh years. Unlike so and so from express stream, work only few years already director!'

 

These gossips will filter and some supermarket cashier aunties or kopi kia will snigger and gossip or even insult you with something like..'aiyo, why only buy 1 small fish? No money is it? Must be from normal stream one..normal stream people have low prospects, unlike express stream students who are now senior managers, directors or presidents..they buy sakura chicken and promfort..those from normal stream bo lui, buy frozen chicken and tilapia!'.

 

Kopi Kia will say..'bo lui lim Tiger? Lim kopi kosonh niah, li Normal Stream a huck seng bo lui lim Tiger siboh? Express stream huck seng tong kim tan dua lui liao long zhong lim Tiger!'

 

The stigma of being a normal stream student will haunt u for life! So blame MOE for this outdated system!

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1 hour ago, radical said:

This week was the release of PSLE results.

 

I did mine years ago and was unhappy I couldn’t make it to the Express Stream. PSLE is indeed a difficult national exam.

 

I felt the discrimination and stigma being a Normal stream student. The PSLE score is something one would live with for the rest of his life after that dreaded exam.

 

I felt inferior having did worse than many others. Each anniversary during this time of the year when PSLE results release, on tv and newspaper, I feel disturbed and unhappy my colleagues start talking about PSLE and about their children, friends’ children, other P6 students etc. Yeah so many did way better than me and even went to really prestigious schools. 
 

For those who didn’t do well like me, do you also feel bad being a normal stream student? Does any one else feel disturbed or have regrets about PSLE years after completing it?

 

I think I should stop being upset over it since I can’t change the past and my PSLE score.

That is but only one examination in your life. Why let that define who you are?

 

There is that saying. "If you think you are bad, then you are". We have seen many examples of people with little education or those who took a difference educational path or not at all and went on to do better than people who pass more "exams" in life. It's not what you learn but how you apply what you learn.


Real leaders and bosses do not look at just your paper qualification or that you ace every single exams thrown at you when you started schooling. They look beyond that to see what you are made of. Your Potential. If you choose to think yourself inferior because you took longer to pass a test, YOU fail yourself. Also at time, we sabotage ourselves. Sometime people do not look down on us, but we get guilty at our own failing or that one particular time of our life, and we let that sour us. We can even start to imagine people belittle base on that in our own mind when they are not.

 

If you did your best and never stopped trying, what have you got to be so worried about who you are and with what you have to achieved to attain a better social standard and as a human being? Unless you never didn't.

 

I did not do well in school as in my days there was 'no such thing' as dyslexia. So most teachers called me stupid including my own parents. I can speak well but I can not read or write well.. All I see in my books were little worms that I can not make out. But tell me things verbally, I understand it. It was only in my mid 20s that I started to find out more of this and what it took for me to overcome it. But even before that, so long I have a way to listen or to slowly read I got to learn a lot. That is why till today, I have a habit of listening to podcast for information..etc. Long story short, I managed to find what successes I have by other means due to my disadvantage to grind my way to as best as I can get. I am no smart guy with businesses in Singapore but I made it enough to know I will be find till I die.

 

So sometime it is your luck too. You can not do well due to some other reason than being born stupid. Who knew I had dyslexia.. the teachers all did not know in my days BUT did you know who also had dyslexia? Lee Kuan Yew and in his time, his parent KNEW about dyslexia... I guess they were well off enough and knowledge to have heard of such thing and took appropriate steps to rectify it for LKY. But I do not have such parents. So here I am on a different path. It happens. Do not be despair just because or your failing or failings... important thing is when it happens, what are you going to do about it?

 

 

** Comments are my opinions, same as yours. It's not a 'Be-All-and-End-All' view. Intent's to thought-provoke, validate, reiterate and yes, even correct. Opinion to consider but agree to disagree. I don't enjoy conflicted exchanges, empty bravado or egoistical chest pounding. It's never personal, tribalistic or with malice. Frank by nature, means, I never bend the truth. Views are to broaden understanding - Updated: Nov 2021.

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PLSE does not reveal a person real capability frankly. Even if you did so well, it does not guarantee u will forever do well. Learning is a life time process. Also there is many different path to lead to individual success in his or her field.

 

My nephew squeeze into one of the good secondary school by just made the mark after cut off point lower slightly at his time. the variance between highest scores (270++ and lowest scores 240++ for his year in that school was over 20 points.

 

But he emerge as top 1 percent is his secondary school even though her was probably last few students squeeze into the School during his year of entry.

 

 

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Not sure if this will give you some hope. I scored 204 for PSLE, even slept during english paper 😭😂🥲 struggled hard during sec 1 and 2. Started building up during sec 3. And by sec 4 my grades have improved. 

 

Olevel grade: 6As and 2Bs

 

My grade is average tbh but i guess it is a realistic jump of grades, given how i performed badly before. 

 

So yeah, screw who ever look down on you. JUST IGNORE AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. I know it is easier said than done but keep your mind busy with your studies. Also, try not to be so influenced by this stigma. Sometimes, others may not say it or show it but it is just that we feel inferior and assume that the majority look down on normal stream students. 

 

While i was in secondary school, i usually mingle with 'normal stream' friends ( i dont see them as 'normal stream' but just to show in my sharing here that they are from that stream ). I wasn't even that close to my classmates who were in the express stream 😂😂 Honestly, they have one of the best minds: creative and they have the confidence to be different. I can't even beat them in my essay writings especially those descriptive/ story like (forgot the term lol). The only type of essay i can hope for is argumentative ones lol.

 

🏻Also, there was this one schoolmate who was from the normal stream. He had always wanted to enter a JC but scared he couldn't because he came from a normal stream. I still remembered the time when he said to himself :" wah i wish i can go to JC" while looking at me. I was the studious type lol and that incident really broke my heart. 

 

Plot twist: Guess what? The first day during my orientation in the JC (one of the top-tier ones, not gonna reveal the name 🙃), I SAW HIM! I WAS SHOOKED! But i was happy at the same time that he made it given how he really wanted it :') 

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