PSLE Maths 2009
This year PSLE has brought about much disscussion by the parents. Everyone was complaining that this year Maths Paper was very difficult. Today I just reading yahoo news and realised that now.. parents are complaining about the PSLE Chinese paper too.
Is it really so difficult????
This Maths Qn was posted online and is deemed as the most difficult MAths question of the PSLE paper.
"Jim bought some chocolates and gave half of it to Ken. Ken bought some sweets and gave half of it to Jim. Jim ate 12 sweets and Ken ate 18 chocolates. The ratio of Jim's sweets to chocolates became 1 : 7 and the ratio of Ken's sweets to chocolates became 1:4. How many sweets did Ken buy?."
Ans: 68 sweets
Well, I managed to solve it using the primary school's "Model method"
Seriously, I remembered seeing a similar question on one of my tutee's school assignment.
I feel that if this is the most difficult question then the level of difficulty is actually acceptable. You need questions like this to differentiate the A* pupils from the A students isnt it?
If parents are to complain about the PSLE's difficult papers, shouldnt the 4NA pupils' parents be complaining about the N'levels Geography elective paper?
The Geography Elective paper for NA level only covers map reading, rivers and coast for the physical side. With Olevels Geography Elective paper for Olevel covering only 1 more topic, Natural Vegetation.
A question on Map reading is set on plateau. Students were required to identify where on the map can you find it? Shouldnt the map reading component be set in relation to rivers or coast for the NA levels?
In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain.
(Are you sure, Plateau is within the syllabus of the Geography elective paper?)
Besides that, students were given six-grid reference for 2 points and they are to calculate the distance between them and the bearing from one of them. This question is easy. However, students were told that they cannot draw on the map as the maps will be reused. I felt that this wasnt very fair to the students unless a range of answers can be accepted.
Besides that, the normal question based on channelisation is not being set which demoralised many students. Instead they were asked to describe the shape and features of the delta.
And the last question "The most important factor in delta formation is the amount of material the river is carrying when it reaches the sea." How far do you agree with the statement?
Seriously, these 2 questions may be easy for some especially those who took Geography 10 years ago. We were taught the shapes of delta etc. But now with the New textbook, not only were the students not shown the formation of river deltas, shapes of the deltas were also not included. and also if you are comparing it with 2008 Olevels paper where the students were being ask to explain the formation of delta with well labelled diagrams, isnt the current Nlevels question on delta a level higher than the olevels?
I seriously think that the textbooks used by students nowadays are becoming useless. textbooks are only showing you the basic of the topic.In fact just show you what maybe tested. In order to pass exams, you cant solely based it on the textbook nor apply what you have learnt from the textbook. You have to go to the library to do research...(but how far must the students go?) students are becoming more and more unprepared for their exams.
Some may argue that learning should not be solely based on the marks anyone get for their exams. How true is that in the Singapore education system?
Singapore is a country based on meritocracy which is a key part of one of the principle of governance 'Reward for work and work for reward'.
I also disagree with the slogen "teach less, learn more" when applying to the upper primary or the secondary levels. I feel that this period of time is the time when students need a direction to follow so that they can grasp the basic. Without a good foundation, student will face difficulty in excelling.
Just look at the difference between a bachelor level paper with a PHD/Master Paper. For Bachelor degree, you learn... for PHD/MAster degree, you focus on research.
Hopefully, those people in curriculum planning will think about the contraints of the younger generation, they are not some SUPER KIDS
Is it really so difficult????
This Maths Qn was posted online and is deemed as the most difficult MAths question of the PSLE paper.
"Jim bought some chocolates and gave half of it to Ken. Ken bought some sweets and gave half of it to Jim. Jim ate 12 sweets and Ken ate 18 chocolates. The ratio of Jim's sweets to chocolates became 1 : 7 and the ratio of Ken's sweets to chocolates became 1:4. How many sweets did Ken buy?."
Ans: 68 sweets
Well, I managed to solve it using the primary school's "Model method"
Seriously, I remembered seeing a similar question on one of my tutee's school assignment.
I feel that if this is the most difficult question then the level of difficulty is actually acceptable. You need questions like this to differentiate the A* pupils from the A students isnt it?
If parents are to complain about the PSLE's difficult papers, shouldnt the 4NA pupils' parents be complaining about the N'levels Geography elective paper?
The Geography Elective paper for NA level only covers map reading, rivers and coast for the physical side. With Olevels Geography Elective paper for Olevel covering only 1 more topic, Natural Vegetation.
A question on Map reading is set on plateau. Students were required to identify where on the map can you find it? Shouldnt the map reading component be set in relation to rivers or coast for the NA levels?
In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain.
(Are you sure, Plateau is within the syllabus of the Geography elective paper?)
Besides that, students were given six-grid reference for 2 points and they are to calculate the distance between them and the bearing from one of them. This question is easy. However, students were told that they cannot draw on the map as the maps will be reused. I felt that this wasnt very fair to the students unless a range of answers can be accepted.
Besides that, the normal question based on channelisation is not being set which demoralised many students. Instead they were asked to describe the shape and features of the delta.
And the last question "The most important factor in delta formation is the amount of material the river is carrying when it reaches the sea." How far do you agree with the statement?
Seriously, these 2 questions may be easy for some especially those who took Geography 10 years ago. We were taught the shapes of delta etc. But now with the New textbook, not only were the students not shown the formation of river deltas, shapes of the deltas were also not included. and also if you are comparing it with 2008 Olevels paper where the students were being ask to explain the formation of delta with well labelled diagrams, isnt the current Nlevels question on delta a level higher than the olevels?
I seriously think that the textbooks used by students nowadays are becoming useless. textbooks are only showing you the basic of the topic.In fact just show you what maybe tested. In order to pass exams, you cant solely based it on the textbook nor apply what you have learnt from the textbook. You have to go to the library to do research...(but how far must the students go?) students are becoming more and more unprepared for their exams.
Some may argue that learning should not be solely based on the marks anyone get for their exams. How true is that in the Singapore education system?
Singapore is a country based on meritocracy which is a key part of one of the principle of governance 'Reward for work and work for reward'.
I also disagree with the slogen "teach less, learn more" when applying to the upper primary or the secondary levels. I feel that this period of time is the time when students need a direction to follow so that they can grasp the basic. Without a good foundation, student will face difficulty in excelling.
Just look at the difference between a bachelor level paper with a PHD/Master Paper. For Bachelor degree, you learn... for PHD/MAster degree, you focus on research.
Hopefully, those people in curriculum planning will think about the contraints of the younger generation, they are not some SUPER KIDS
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