Improvement over achievement

As you read this, we are midway through the PSLE, and the SA2 will soon be upon us. A common refrain from parents at this time is how they reduce their children’s screen time, or even confiscate the devices in the interim. Whether they are returned would then depend on the grades the child produces. 

This actually can be a good time to examine how family life can be like without the perpetual spectre of one-i-ed monster - the iPad - overshadowing all other constructive hobbies. Life can actually be more fulfilling and well-rounded if other activities play a bigger part. 

Another thing to consider is the unintended link of the child’s self-worth to his results. Many parents set unrealistic goals for their children. A fairer reward system would be linked to improvement. For example, a child could be assessed on how much the child has improved from his previous test. To account for differing test difficulty, the school could publish the mean of the level on the two tests, so parents could meaningfully see if their children are improving. 

As you can see, this change of mindset is required both by the school, to be more transparent with data, and the parents, to move away from over-simplistic metrics and over-ambitious targets. If we can all do this, the child could work towards unlocking rewards in the form of activities not involving devices. Then everybody wins. 

Thank you for reading. Do comment below on questions you may have, or what you’d like to see covered. I look forward to hearing from you. Stay tuned for the next post!