The move by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to completely do away with streaming in secondary schools by 2024 and to replace it with subject-based banding was largely met with praise from academics, parents and teachers.
However, the academics warned that the announcement will not be an overnight solution to counter the effects of students being labelled and stigmatised, with one saying that society has to adjust its attitudes in tandem with the changes.
Still, these measures will go some way in nudging people in the right direction, those interviewed by TODAY said.
On Tuesday (March 5), MOE said that it will be scrapping the streaming system, which has been around for four decades, by 2024.
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said at the parliamentary debate on his ministry’s budget that from 2027, students will no longer sit for the GCE O-Level or N-Level examinations, but will take a common national examination and certification.