From L1R5 to L1R4: Boon or Bane?

In light of MOE’s shift towards the L1R4 system for students taking the GCE O-Level examinations, there have been a variety of opinions on the ground discussing its pros and cons. Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing spoke up about MOE’s justification for the switch – with consistently high rates of students in junior college (~95%) passing their A-Level examinations, the revised criteria allows students to have more time to pursue their interests beyond the classroom. This thus aligns with MOE’s goal of holistic education and development beyond academics.

However, some feel that the shift from L1R5 to L1R4 does not address the root cause of meritocracy in our society, believing that the change only drives competition elsewhere. With one less subject to focus on, students may choose to direct their efforts towards their better-scoring subjects to secure a good L1R4 score, rather than focus on their extracurricular activities like MOE intended. More students thus have a higher chance at scoring well, driving increased competition when it comes to DSA and boosting one’s portfolio. 

Others do not recognise the necessity of implementing the policy, pointing out that MOE has already stated that JC admission standards are not being relaxed and a similar proportion of students will continue to qualify. Especially as MOE’s aim is to reduce stress on students to perform well academically, it is unclear how the new system contributes to this. It is argued that students are primarily stressed by the nature of our education system rather than the workload, thus rendering the new system unable to address the problem adequately. 

Having one less subject to focus on in a high-stakes national examination may also have its benefits, as students are able to dedicate more time to understand their subjects on a deeper level and find subjects that they are interested in pursuing. For example, subjects such as Biology and Chemistry may take time to understand – with one less subject to focus on, they may be able to spend more time understanding the subject and the relevant processes on a deeper level. This sparks critical thinking and an increased depth of understanding, which in turn may contribute to their interest to pursue the subject as part of their further education.

In conclusion, it is unclear how the L1R4 grading system will work out for Singapore’s education system. While there are valid opinions on both sides of the equation, the pros and cons remain as hypotheticals that can only be observed over time.