A Singapore TikToker went viral for calling out the PSLE and suggested an alternative. (PHOTO: Screengrab from TikTok/leethenomad00, Getty Images)
Singapore TikToker, @leethenomad00, posted a three-minute video in which he criticised the local education system, calling the PSLE the “worst thing” and describing the system as an “insidious filter”. The clip, uploaded on 19 Nov, argued that although Singapore’s education framework had strengths, it still placed children under excessive pressure at a very young age.
He explained that he had grown up in a low-income family, attended neighbourhood schools, and eventually achieved straight As at the A-Levels. He acknowledged that the system could act as a “social leveller”, but he also believed it filtered students, focusing on “optimisation, not growth”. His own PSLE experience had been challenging as he shared that he had “not performed well”, only managing to qualify for the Express stream.
Drawing from his background, he said that children from disadvantaged families were at higher risk of struggling in the PSLE. Instead of relying on one high-stakes exam, he suggested replacing it with “mini little exams””that would allow students to “redeem themselves along the way”. Students like him, he added, often needed more inspiration, mentorship, and targeted support to thrive.
He ended his video with an appeal to rethink the principles behind the system rather than focus solely on efficiency.
“Let’s stop focusing on the policies. Let’s focus on the process. It’s about principles, not policies. The moment we try to optimise children, we have done ourselves the greatest disservice. So whoever is in cabinet right now, you know what to do.”
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