The stress of studying in Singapore is well-known and as someone who has first-hand experience, I can only agree that I didn’t enjoy learning and studying during my primary and secondary school years due to the amount of pressure put on obtaining good academic results. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has made changes in recent years to reduce the emphasis of academic results such as removing mid-year examinations (Ang, 2022), revamping the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) points system (Ministry of Education, n.d.), and how students are grouped upon their entry to secondary school (Ministry of Education, 2023). This has been aimed at attempting a cultural shift within the school systems level. However I still encounter many clients within the Singapore education system who struggle with academic pressure and feel negatively about themselves for not being good at studying.
A large part of academic pressure still stems from parental expectations where parents hope for their children to strive and perform well but this adds on pressure for their children (Quah, 2019). Additionally, it is part of the Singapore academic culture for students to attend tuition lessons to supplement their learning in school and they also participate in co-curricular activities but trying to balance these demands can contribute to overexertion and stress (Tan, 2021).
Overall, managing school stress effectively in Singapore will require changes to be made at a macro level to see larger benefits. But this does not mean we can’t make changes at a micro level to help students cope with the stress more effectively.
Meeting your child where they are at
It is common for parents to be disappointed when their child does not meet the academic standards set by them. But it’s important to remember that not everyone excels within an educational environment because everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are different. Hence, it’s vital that parents refrain from pushing when their child is already struggling and meet them where they are at. This can mean moderating expectations and redrawing focus on helping them learn skills and concepts taught at school rather than focusing on attaining a high academic grade.
Balancing priorities
It is important for parents and students to be able to prioritise what is important to them as it will not be possible for students to do everything (e.g., tuition, enrichment activities, CCAs). This will be different for everyone but it is important to find a balance between dedicating more time on their weaknesses whilst making time for their strengths and activities they feel confident in. This could also be reviewed on an ongoing basis so it is based on the current needs of the student.
Self-care
I always tell my adolescent clients that resting is essential to being able to work hard. You cannot keep pushing yourself if you never give yourself a break and take care of yourself too. This does not only encompass engaging in activities they enjoy but also eating and sleeping well. While for many adolescents, self-care might be scrolling social media or playing a game, this is fine in moderation. We also want to increase the possible activities they can engage in by helping them find potential activities they might be interested in so there are multiple ways they can engage in self-care and take a break from their studies.
Peer support
The people one chooses to surround themselves with can have a huge impact on their emotional coping. While friendship issues can be common during childhood and adolescence, it’s important to help students find peers that are a good fit for them and can provide support to each other when they need it. As peers usually go through similar issues, they can relate to each other and there can be a sense of solidarity when they go through difficult times together. Students should be encouraged to meet people from various social groups to help find their community.
Professional support
There is no shame in asking for external support when it becomes too difficult to manage stress on your own. Nowadays, every school in Singapore has at least one school counsellor to support students. If a student is not comfortable approaching the school counsellor, external support is also available. The goal of external support should be about supporting students on managing their current struggles and providing them with the tools and skills to be independent in managing their stress eventually. Our psychologists and counsellors at The Other Clinic are familiar with supporting students on managing school stressors (e.g., academic, friendship) from both the local and international schools.
To meet with a professional psychologist or counsellor, call The Other Clinic at 8809 0659 or email us hello@theotherclinic.sg.
References:
Ang, H. M. (2022, March 7). Mid-year exams at all primary and secondary school levels will be removed by 2023, Channel News Asia. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/mid-year-exams-all-primary-and-secondary-school-levels-will-be-removed-2023-moe-2544051
Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Changing PSLE scoring system. Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/psle/changing-psle-scoring-system.html
Ministry of Education. (2023). What you need to know about full subject-based banding (SBB). Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/edtalks/what-you-need-to-know-about-full-sbb
Quah, S. Y. (2019). Parental expectations and their effects on Singaporean students. Asian Education Studies, 7(4), 123-137.
Tan, C. (2021). Academic excellence in Singapore: A double-edged sword. Education and Society, 19(2), 78-94.