Singapore’s education system has seen multiple reforms aimed at reducing academic pressure, from changes to streaming and PSLE scoring to a greater focus on holistic development. Yet, high-stakes exams continue to influence school placements, family decisions, and significant spending on tuition and enrichment.

This week, the Ministry of Education announced it is reviewing both exam difficulty and how PSLE results are used in secondary school admissions, as part of a wider effort to curb what it calls an education ‘arms race’.

What could these potential changes mean for students and families? Will they actually reduce stress, or will competition simply take a new form?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Jonathan Sim, Lecturer at the NUS Learning & Development Academy and Fellow at the NUS Teaching Academy, to find out more.