Giving Up

One my students told me that more than half of his classmates began to lay their heads on the table with a full half an hour to go during the recent PSLE math exam. In fact, students started to sleep with 45 minutes left in the exam.


“They did what? I don’t get it? They went ahead to rest and not doing any checking during an important exam? And with more than 30 minutes remaining??”

“Yes, they went ahead to “sleep”.” My student replied.

I was exasperated! “You mean they had finished the paper and then went on to “sleep”?”

“No, they didn’t finish the paper.”

“That means they have given up?”

“Exactly.”

I was speechless. This is an important exam. This represents their future. How could they give up?

What happened? Was the exam so tough that more than half of the classmates gave up? Was it that our students are too soft who give up easily? Is our education system working well when a large percentage of a class (my student's class) give up when faced with difficulty? And we kept telling others we have a world-class education system? Something is not right. What do parents think and feel if they see that their child give up during an important exam?

If my students or my child gives up during an important exam, my heart will bleed. I am glad they didn't.
Everyone needs to wake up! Students, teachers and parents, and including MOE!
I have a suggestion that may just solve one problem, that of lack of mental toughness. In sport, psychology was practised so that athletes can perform at their peak without succumbing to pressure and stress. Otherwise, all the effort and time spent on training will go to complete waste if the athlete could not perform on the competition day.
I recalled that even our table tennis team did not have a sport psychologist coaching them during 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, according to Li Jia Wei, our top player. And that might explain why one male player crashed out crying when left without a coach by his side. Could he be a bit soft on the mental side? I wonder.
What about providing some psychological support for our young students so that they have a tool to manage the stress during exams? Perhaps schools could work into the curriculum a component on stress management based on sound psychological principles.
How do I know if it works? I have coached (using Hypnotherapy) my students to use it when the stress get to them for the past 3 years. Even Tiger Woods uses it, why not us?

John Yong