Ever wondered why there were four terms in a year
instead of three? I mean, theoretically, it is definitely possible. With four
months in a term, everyone, both teachers and students, is surely capable of
doing a great deal more. Consider the possibilities of having more time to
learn, to prepare for examinations and not to mention more time for marking.
With just three terms, students will realise the importance of each and every
exam, and will tend to make the most out of them. Which is presumably a good
thing. So why four, and not three?
It is not unusual to hear students lamenting about the
lack of time they have in school nowadays. Juggling so many external
commitments that include their CCAs, CIPs, Projects etc, how exactly are students
able to squeeze in any additional time to study for their examinations?
This inevitably brings us to the point on
“last-minute-work”.
Understandably, students would be left with no choice but to study late
through the nights, thereby placing an unhealthy compromise on their own
health. The idea of working late into the night has already turned into a
widespread phenomenon throughout Singapore across the ages, but is
exceptionally common amongst students.
Every parent would hope that their children receive
the very best education from the school that they send them to, and we all know
that this goes far beyond the textbook. Instead, of teaching the students
solely according to their examination requirements, teachers are often tasked
to teach at greater depth, which would be beneficial in allowing a student to
get a grasp of the bigger picture of things. But as of now, the chances of that
happening are gradually decreasing as students’ progress towards the more
crucial years of their education. Not because of the teachers’ unwillingness to
do so, but sorely due to the lack of time to complete the syllabus. Since they
are quickly approaching the examinations, the teacher has to make sure that she
completes the syllabus and that every student understands every examinable
topic covered. This often translates into many remedial sessions which teachers
call the students up for during the afternoons or even during the holidays.
With so much time spent on teaching, will the students, in turn, have enough of
time to learn and absorb all that has been taught? The issue here cannot be
attributed to the students’ lack of time management, but with the system, for
how are we going to revise when the topic has yet to be covered? Therefore,
think of what an extra month could do to help the teachers and students?
These four extra weeks would also enable the students
to be exposed to a greater array of non-academic activities that would promote
their holistic development. Activities such as overseas learning camps, job-attachment
programmes or excursions are just a few examples of what schools can offer. In
our modern education system, there has been an increasing emphasis on the
aspect of holistic development. It requires students to be as all-rounded as
possible, in areas such as community involvement, character development and
their academic achievement. No longer are job-interviewers targeting straight-A
students, but rather those who are competent in areas involving human
interaction; those who are capable of communicating effectively with others.
Notice that there will only three tests in a year, one
towards the end of each term. If we were to do the Math, we can see that the
percentage (waitage) for each exam would be slightly higher than if we were to
have four exams. However, this a very flexible issue, in which every school
will decide exactly on the percentage which each test in a term, carries. Some
schools would choose to place the emphasis on the End-of-Year exam, while
others would prefer an equal distribution of percentage throughout the three
terms, so as to ensure that the students put in consistent effort. I would
prefer that the latter be adopted since it instils the need for consistent hard
work from students. Such a system would also discourage the students from
banking on last-minute revisions in order to ace a test. I believe that this is
a good practise for us students and hope that everyone sticks with it after
they graduate.
As students, we are not born to be stuffed with
information, but rather to learn what we can and apply what we have learnt into
our lives. This, like everything else, requires time. What better way to do
this than by having three terms, instead of four.
Tan Ming Shi
