Breaking Through: Nurturing the Spirit of Excellence Beyond PSLE Scores

If the PSLE season has ever kept you up at night, wondering if your child can keep up—or even if the system truly sees your child's strengths—you're not alone. In a world where every mark matters, it's easy to feel anxious about whether your child will make it to the "right" secondary school. But what if success is about something deeper: discovering how each child learns best, and helping them build confidence from the inside out? This is the story of Student C, a child who struggled for years in Singapore's tightly-paced classrooms, and the unexpected breakthrough that changed everything—for him, and for me as a parent and educator.

When I first met Student C four months ago, he was facing academic struggles that are all too familiar in Singapore's high-pressure school system. For years, staying focused in class was a challenge. Traditional teaching methods and the fast pace of the curriculum left him feeling lost, and as with many students, the learning gap widened by Primary 5. We were just two weeks away from PSLE—a time filled with anxiety over which secondary school awaited him. Like countless parents, his family had already sought additional support through tuition, a common step in our education landscape.

But Student C is unique. The usual formulas and methods didn't resonate with him. Math model drawing felt meaningless, and topics like whole numbers, fractions, and ratios—core components of the PSLE Math paper—were roadblocks. For English composition, as long as words filled the page, it sufficed. Science answers rarely aligned with what teachers wanted. He felt lost, not for lack of trying, but because no one had yet seen his potential or truly understood how his mind worked.

That's where my journey with him began. What if he simply needed someone to view him through a different lens, to believe, despite the years of struggle, that he was wonderfully made?

We started from the basics, patiently going over mathematics concepts at his pace and in his style. Little by little, his confidence bloomed. The tests or exam scores didn't immediately show it, but the sparkle in his eyes spoke volumes. He began to articulate his thoughts, started applying the right methods to solve problems, and changed from wanting to give up to genuinely trying his best—even when it meant being wrong. Every second was precious; every attempt was a step forward.

With less than four months to his preliminary exams and just a month more to PSLE, our focus wasn't on results, but on nurturing a spirit of excellence—valuing learning, perseverance, and the quality of effort over grades.

A Milestone Worth Celebrating

Then, something amazing happened: He passed his Math prelim exam for the first time. This time, when his teacher called his name, it wasn't for chatting or being off-task. The whole class turned in surprise: "My whole class was shocked when my teacher said that I had done well. All eyes were on me."

I asked him what it felt like… his answer says it all. 💯

That moment became a springboard for every subject. He started asking for help with problem sums, wrote composition after composition, and even wanted to know the secret to scoring for Science.

The transformation wasn't just academic. It was a lesson in grit, self-belief, and understanding that every child learns differently—and every child has value beyond test scores.

Reflection and Hope

As we approach the PSLE, it makes me wonder:

• How many students out there need just one person to believe in them to experience this breakthrough?

• What if schools and families measured success not by test scores, but by how far a child has come?
  

What I haven't told Student C is this: The real secret is not a method or formula, but the truth that he is wonderfully made. Every effort, every setback, and every little victory is proof of his unique potential—and that's what truly matters, now and long after PSLE.