MOE to stop publishing names of top-scoring students

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Education (MOE) will discontinue its practice of revealing the names of the top-scoring pupils in all national examinations when it releases the results, the ministry said in a statement today.

MOE has already stopped the practice for 'A' Level examinations, and will cease to do so for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), 'O' Level and 'N' Level examinations.

A ministry spokesperson said the focus will be on the performance of the whole cohort and the move will balance the over-emphasis on academic results. The ministry added that academic performance is just one aspect of a student's overall development and progress.

Students who perform well academically will still be recognised through avenues such as Edusave Awards and scholarships, the spokesperson said.

The move comes amidst an ongoing debate on whether PSLE exerts undue pressure on students and parents, sorts students too finely and is lacking in providing students with a holistic education.