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How PSLE fails us: The impact of PSLE examination stress on our mental health

When you think of your primary school days, what’s the first thing you remember?

Was it the wild care-free days you had, running and playing with your friends; the starting stirrings of independence at living life by yourself in school; your form teacher’s kind face or your math teacher’s lectures? 

Or do you recall the stress of sitting for your first examination? The way your teachers and parents may have built up the importance of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), so that it seemed like it’d be such a defining moment in your life when you were only twelve years old.

While the educational system has changed dramatically – moving towards a more encompassing system that allows students of different aptitudes to grow – there’s no denying that PSLE continues to be a huge stressful event for both students and their families alike. After all, it’s a student’s first encounter with a supposedly landmark event that’ll determine their future… and thus, all the pressures that come with it.

We may say it’s just an examination or there are still many other ways to succeed in Singapore now, apart from through academics, yet passing remarks are still made about how well one did in school (“Where did you go to for JC?”, “Wow! You scored 260 for PSLE… So smart ah!”, “How did you do for your O Levels?”), even amongst adults whose schooling days are long behind them. 

And all that goes to show the lasting (some may say, scarring) impact that PSLE and national examinations have on us. Often, in more negative ways than positive ways.

In this article, we look at how PSLE examination stress has impacted our psyche as Singaporeans; the various stressors that we encounter in society; and what we can do, as individuals, to help mitigate these negative effects for the next generation.

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Examining the impact of PSLE on Singaporeans

For many, the significance of PSLE cannot be underestimated. 

In a survey conducted by CNA in 2024, 99% of parents surveyed said that good grades were important. It’s no wonder: a difference in scores could mean a world of difference in the type of schools their children go to – and the survey echoes this finding, with 64% of surveyed parents saying that having good scores were a stepping stone towards a good future or career.

As such, preparing for PSLE can take some (parents) to extremes. More than just sending one’s child off for a battery of tuition classes, there are also workshops that parents can sign up for to help them prepare their children for PSLE as well. These range from a few hours to full weekend seminars that are meant to give parents the “skills” to support their children’s study schedules, or a crash course in subjects so that they can help their children with their studies.

And while it’s all well and good that parents want the best for their children and are more than willing to invest resources into the future of their children, it’s… more than a bit too much.

In fact, this intense investment of resources into preparing for the PSLE (and other national examinations) has a dark flipside too. By showing your children how much effort you’re putting into this one examination, it inadvertently imbues PSLE with a huge amount of significance and importance. In turn, it starts to create a large amount of stress on the child that they have to succeed because of all the effort that has gone into it.

Whether intentionally or not, putting all this attention onto PSLE builds and repeats the myth around it: that you have to do well for your PSLE because your future is tied to your results.

Studies show that your core beliefs are developed when you are a child, such as beliefs about yourself and the world. With this immense pressure placed onto children at such a young age, it’s no wonder that Singaporeans tend to be afraid of experimentation and failure. Because failure – and especially failure for significant events – comes at a huge cost for the person.

That’s not to say that life is rosy for children who score high on their PSLE either. All children develop at their own pace; and some peak earlier than others. Yet, because of how our educational system is structured, those who do well in their examinations earlier on (such as in the PSLE) are usually placed on a pedestal; set aside from their peers and praised for their achievements.

While it may be good-intentioned, this singling out of a high-performing child may result in placing them under more stress instead. A student in Sweden found that students who did well in school were four-times more likely to develop mental health conditions in adulthood than those who did average.

This may be because children who place well earlier on in life feel the need to constantly succeed, and prove that they are worthy of the praise and attention they’re receiving. Such creates a vicious cycle of perfectionism; and if left unchecked, follows the child into adulthood, where they may be even more harsh on themselves — particularly if they notice that they’re falling behind their peers who may have done ‘average’ in school.

Given all of this, what, then, can we do to look after the mental health of our children, the next generation of Singaporeans?

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Coping with PSLE examination stress

Firstly, it helps to put PSLE into proportion. Or, to borrow the words of June Yong, the Lead of Insights at Focus on the Family Singapore, to right-size the significance of PSLE.

Anxiety around PSLE comes from the importance we attach to examinations, and the implications of one’s future. Yet, is it really true that one’s results would determine their entire future? We’ve seen many examples where, in fact, school results are but a minor blip in one’s life.

As such, as parents and guardians, we need to be aware of our own negative associations and biases; and learn how to control these emotions, so that we don’t subconsciously impose them onto our children as well. It’s about shifting mindsets and unlearning previous core beliefs about success in Singapore – so that we don’t pass down these ways of thinking to our children.

Secondly, let your child know that they have your support, no matter what happens. 

Support goes beyond tuition classes or workshops to help them study, but emotional support to be a safe space where they can share their anxieties or worries, if they have any. Keep an eye out for any signs of burnout, particularly if you find that your child is particularly distressed about the upcoming examinations.

They may lack the vocabulary to explain their emotions, but there could be signs like if there are changes in their sleeping patterns or appetite; or if they’re asking questions like, “What’s the point of this?”, “Why does this all matter?” more than usual. Small ways of acting out and behaving out of the norm could hint at greater emotional turmoil bubbling underneath.

If you notice that your child isn’t dealing well with their examination stress, talk to them about how they’re feeling; and let them know they don’t have to face these emotions on their own. You can also try to break the monotony of revision by doing something fun or different for the day – like going on a long walk in nature or cooking a meal together. 

You could also consider reaching out to a mental health expert, if you think your child could benefit from more specialised support. 

And you don’t have to do this alone. At a Space Between, we have a complimentary client matching service for anyone who needs support from mental health professionals; and many of our therapists are experienced at working with children. Reach out whenever you feel ready, and we’ll be here for you and your child, to support them through whatever they’re feeling.

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Written by Em Tang

An experienced health & wellness writer, I am a story-teller at heart. For me, writing is a way of weaving together the little details that make our existence meaningful and significant into a beautiful, larger story.

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