Singapore Abolishing School Exam Rankings

Singapore’s schools are reported to be abolishing standardized exams, minimum and maximum marks, class levels, pass/fail, and subject grades over the coming years.  In “Why the World’s Best School System Is Getting Rid of Grades,” Singapore Education Minister, Ong Ye Kung, is quoted as saying that “coming in first or second in a class or level has traditionally been a proud recognition of a student achievement but removing these indicators is for a good reason, so that the child understands from a young age that learning is not a competition, but a self-discipline they need to master for life.”  Abolishing standardized testing is something that has been successfully implemented in Finland and Wales and many more countries are debating going that route.