askST: Why are main colleges going into home-based studying?, Parenting & Schooling Information & Prime Tales
SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday (September 18) that all primary school students will begin Full Home Learning (HBL) from September 27 through the end of the Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE) on October 6.
The ministry said this would also be the case at special schools (SPED) that offer the national curriculum. The Straits Times helps answer some key questions about the HBL arrangement.
Q: Is the 3-day study break before PSLE new for 6th elementary school students?
A: No, it started last year.
Q: Why is the MOE arranging HBL for students from primary level 1 to primary level 5 before the PSLE this year?
A: There are several reasons.
The ministry wants to avoid exposing students to the risk of Covid-19 infection at school shortly before the PSLE to ensure that P6 students are healthy to take the exam.
In addition, with fewer students, any required deep cleaning or contact tracing in schools would be easier.
After all, this year PSLE will mainly be carried out in classrooms, unlike in previous years when the hall was used for the entire cohort. Therefore, more classrooms are needed.
For some P1 to P5 students in schools with more students, the rule is not entirely new. Some schools chose HBL last year because they wanted to reduce noise and activity.
Q: What about parents who cannot look after their children during school?
A: Students with higher needs and those in need of care can still return to school. It would be good if they could let the teachers know in advance to make planning easier.
