Removal of mid-year examinations a step towards nurturing joy of learning

We thank Ms Lu Gui Xia ("谈取消年中考试", 11 Apr) for her thoughtful feedback on the removal of mid-year examinations. As her former student, I would also like to thank Ms Lu for guiding and nurturing me more than 3 decades ago.

In recent years, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has introduced several policy changes under the Learn for Life movement to nurture our students to be confident and self-directed learners. As Ms Lu observed, the removal of mid-year examinations for all remaining levels in primary and secondary schools by 2023 is another step towards inculcating joy of learning in our students, and away from an over-emphasis on academic results.

Schools that have removed the mid-year examinations shared that they have more time to provide a variety of learning experiences to cater to students' learning needs. Some students too have given feedback that they now have more opportunities to discover their interests and strengths. We would like to assure Ms Lu that schools will be using the freed-up time for its intended purpose, to nurture well-rounded students and enable them to succeed in life.

Even without mid-year examinations, schools have regular assessments to help students monitor their learning progress, identify strengths and close learning gaps. We agree with Ms Lu that these forms of assessments are important in supporting students' learning as they provide timely feedback, and enable teachers to nimbly adjust teaching practices to better respond to their students' needs. Without mid-year examinations, students will also have more time to act on teachers' feedback on their learning progress.

It is important for students to be driven by the intrinsic value of learning and self-improvement, and not be motivated narrowly by assessment outcomes. Citing from Confucius' Analect: 知之者不如好之者，好之者不如乐之者. Together, let us help our students thrive in the school of life, and not just their life in school.

Mr Sng Chern Wei
Deputy Director-General of Education (Curriculum), MOE

谨答复《联合早报·交流站》于4月11日刊登的卢桂霞读者投函《谈取消年中考试》：

我们感谢卢女士对取消年中考试作出深思熟虑的反馈。作为她以前的学生，我也要感谢卢老师30多年前对我的指导和栽培。

近年来，教育部按照"学无止境"（Learn for Life）计划推出了多项政策改革，旨在培养学生的自信心和自主学习能力。正如卢女士所观察到的，中小学明年取消其余年级的所有年中考试，是朝培养学生的乐学精神、不过度重视学业成绩的方向，迈出的又一步。

已取消年中考试的学校透露，它们有更多的时间提供多样化的学习体验，以满足学生的学习需求。一些学生也反馈说，他们现在有更多的机会探索自己的兴趣和强项。我们向卢女士保证，学校会善用腾出的时间来培养全面发展的学生，使他们在人生道路上取得成功。

即使没有年中考试，学校也有定期评估，以帮助学生衡量学习进度，找出强项，缩小学习差距。我们同意卢女士的看法，即这类评估对帮助学生的学习非常重要，因为它能让教师及时了解学生的学习情况，从而灵活地调整教学方法，以更好地满足学生的需求。由于没有年中考试，学生将有更多时间，根据教师对他们学习进度的反馈作出改善。

重要的是，学生应由学习和自我提升的内在价值所驱动，而不是狭隘地被评估结果所激励。正如孔子在《论语》中所说：知之者不如好之者，好之者不如乐之者。别只看短期"学堂人生"，要放眼长期"人生学堂"。

教育部
副教育总司长（课程）
孙振炜