SINGAPORE : Parents and students are asking how the Singapore
Examinations and Assessment Board could have made a mistake
formulating a question in the PSLE Mathematics paper.
While apologising for it, the Board said it would review processes
and introduce additional checks to prevent any recurrence.
The Board has been setting PSLE papers for more than 20
years.
But a wrongly formulated question in this year's Mathematics paper
has upset many parents and students.
One of the questions - question number 13 - required them to
calculate the area of Rectangle C - based on given area of
Triangles A and B.
The mistake lies in an inconsistency between the dimensions of the
rectangle and the areas of the two triangles.
Based on this data, "it is mathematically not possible to draw such
a figure."
The Board is awarding two marks to all students, irrespective of
their answer.
But most parents are not satisfied.
"It is not simply that one question, it will affect them, put a lot
of stress on them, and affect the rest of the questions that they
are going to answer."
"They are the Ministry, they should have gone through the question
with a handful of teachers."
Students in top schools said awarding two marks to everyone was
unfair.
"I do not think it is fair because those who got it correct,
actually it will still be the same with the others. They don't
deserve it and maybe we do."
"A lot of people might have spent a lot of time on that question
and not have time to check on the other questions but then everyone
gets two marks. 89 is an A1, 91 is an A star so there is quite a
lot of difference."
But others were happy with the arrangement.
"I'm very very happy that they are giving us two marks."
"If they don't make the mistake I won't get two marks."
The Board said it carried out at least five rounds of checks in the
setting of examinations.
The checks are done by teams of experienced moderators and
examiners.
The Board also assures schools, parents and students that every
effort will be made to ensure error-free examinations in
future.
Meantime, parents have been writing to Channel NewsAsia saying this
year's PSLE Science paper was "exceptionally difficult" and are
asking the Examinations Board to check whether the paper has any
mistakes in the questions. - CNA/de
