From exams to enrichment: Has Singapore’s education overhaul swapped one race for another?

Written by: Steven (25-A4), Jerrett (25-A6), Vivian (25-I3), Zac (25-I5), Megan (25-I6), Hong En (25-I6).

Designed by: Kaitlyn Kok (25-U1)

Editor’s Note: This article includes excerpts from an interview conducted by The Origin with a student and teacher from Eunoia Junior College. The excerpts have been edited only for reasons of length and clarity.The full interview is available below.

In recent years, Singapore’s Ministry of Education has started recalibrating its educational priorities, shifting emphasis from academic attainment to the holistic development of students. This policy reflects a growing recognition of the unintended consequences of an education system overly fixated on examination results.

In junior colleges (JCs), where performance in the A-level examinations has long been the dominant measure of success, such a shift marks a significant departure from entrenched norms. Increasingly, there is acknowledgement — both within educational circles and public discourse — that a near-exclusive focus on academic grades not only places unsustainable pressure on students but also fails to equip them with the skills and resilience necessary for life beyond the classroom.

Changes that have been made

The maximum local university admission score has been lowered from 90 rank points (RP) to 70, with JC students taking the A-levels in 2025 set to be the first affected by the change. Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s Minister for Education at the time of the decision, said: “Time saved from preparing for examinations can be channelled towards deeper student engagement and learning through more varied experiences. Teachers will continue to use assessments in a formative and calibrated way to monitor learning progress and support each student.” 

Mr Fred Ong of the Arts Department expressed a similar sentiment: “The shift to the 70 RP system allows students to choose subjects they are genuinely passionate about. That, in turn, creates opportunities for deeper conversations about those subjects and lets us work with them on projects outside academics that may benefit them in the future.

“The policy has had somewhat of an impact on me as a teacher. I still focus on helping my students ace their exams, but we also explore more topics based on their interests. We will see what the students are interested in and help them to develop in those areas.”

Project work was introduced as an A-level subject in 2003 to foster 21^st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and communication in an “authentic and applied manner.” In 2024, the subject’s assessment framework was revised, moving from traditional letter grades to a simple pass/fail system. This aimed to reduce pressure on students, allowing them to pursue genuine interests instead of simply selecting subjects likely to yield high grades. 

The broader emphasis on holistic development has also permeated other areas of student life. Co-curricular activities, leadership roles and community engagement (through Values-In-Action initiatives) are now being given greater importance. University admissions procedures have been restructured to reflect these changing priorities. Increasingly aptitude-based, these processes now require students to articulate their personal interests, experiences and achievements in written statements.

Taken together, these developments represent a concerted effort to shift away from a rigid, grade-centric model towards one that recognises a wider range of student capabilities.

A new kind of pressure

Despite the Ministry of Education’s continued efforts to address student well-being, recent findings suggest significant challenges remain. A study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health in 2024 found that one in three youths described their mental health as “very poor”. While academic stress is often cited as a primary factor, a range of other factors also contribute to these outcomes.

Changes to the A-level scoring system have introduced new forms of competition. With the maximum score lowered from 90 RP to 70, the need to differentiate oneself has intensified. In the wake of this development, a new phenomenon has emerged, dubbed the “internship arms race” by TODAY. Pre-university students are increasingly engaging in “portfolio maxxing” — an aggressive pursuit of enrichment opportunities, including internships and leadership programmes, purely to enhance their university applications. 

Julianna Del Rosario, a student from 24-E6, said: “I feel that getting into a good university has become tougher due to the transition from the 90 RP system to the 70 RP system. When you decrease the maximum RP, it becomes easier for more students to get 70, which puts pressure on us to build a stronger portfolio to differentiate ourselves from everyone else. That’s tough to juggle in JC, especially when we barely have time, and there are so many extra things we have to do on top of our schoolwork.” This growing emphasis on building competitive portfolios means many students now pursue enrichment activities for external validation rather than genuine interest. Because of this, the original purpose of enrichment — fostering personal and intellectual growth — is at risk of being undermined.

The shift raises significant questions. While the intent behind a broader, aptitude-based admissions system is to reduce stress and reward diverse talents, it may, paradoxically, be fostering a different kind of pressure — one that risks replacing a narrow focus on academic grades with an equally narrow fixation on artificially curated achievements. The result may be a system that, though altered in appearance, remains fundamentally demanding in ways that merit serious scrutiny.