The recently released Ministry of Education report on student performance in top schools in Singapore has raised quite a few eyebrows. The report showed that students in Special Programmes such as the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), the Integrated Programme (IP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) outperformed their peers.

While the results are encouraging, they also highlight the large degree of independent learning that is required in these programmes. This can be quite a challenge for weaker students, who might need to seek private tuition in order to catch up. These private tutors often come from the best tuition agency and have the required experience to help IP students succeed.

There is always a small group of students that find it difficult to cope and constantly fall behind in the challenging IP school work. These students are requested to leave the IP programme & pursue the typical O-Level course. This is often a source of discomfort for many students and their parents as it implicitly tagged as a “failure”. Although this is determined by the school as “best for the student”, it is not seen as so.

In general, the report showed that students in Singapore are capable of high levels of achievement. However, the competition is intense and the stress levels are high. Not all students are able to cope with the competitive & demanding programmes. There is a general programme that caters to the majority of students. These exists in most Singapore public schools.

It is important to remember that these programmes are not for everyone. Students should only enrol in these programmes if they are genuinely interested in the subjects and are willing to put in the necessary effort. There is a lot of pressure on students to perform well in school. This is especially true for students who attend top schools. The competition is fierce and the expectations are high. Many are driven to excel due to a fear of losing out. Some would say that the end justifies the means but at what cost? Students go through an inordinate amount of mental stress that might have long lasting negative effects.

So what does this all mean? It’s important to remember that grades is not the only measure of success. Once you start working, your grades will not matter anymore but they do get you through the front door.