I REFER to the letter, 'It's about who can afford better tutors' (Nov 26), in which Ms Pamela Liu opined that students from well-to-do families would get into better secondary schools and questioned what would be left for bright but poorer students.
Ms Liu is wrong to assert that the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) has 'evolved into an exam that divides the haves and have-nots among our 12-year-olds'. The top 5 per cent of students in the PSLE do not come only from a few schools with rich parents. In fact, they come from more than 95 per cent of our primary schools and across all socio-economic groups. In addition, over 2,000 students from 155 schools (or about 90 per cent of our primary schools) successfully obtained a place in participating secondary schools this year under the Direct School Admissions (DSA) exercise, based on their talents in different fields. These students likewise came from various socio-economic groups. The criteria each school uses in the selection of students under the DSA are made public on their websites.
In our schools, all students have access to enrichment activities, such as art, music and sports programmes, or overseas training, exposure trips and competitions.
Our school-based co-curricular programmes provide opportunities for all students to develop themselves in art, music and sports. Additional funding is also provided to help students, especially those from less well-off families, go on overseas exchanges.
The Ministry of Education strives to enable all students, regardless of their family background and circumstances, to achieve their full potential.
Jennifer Chan (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications Division
Ministry of Education
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