Proposal to Make Changes to School Curriculum to Lessen Amount of Homework that May Exacerbate Stress and Anxiety during COVID-19 Endemic
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Christopher de Souza’s proposal to modify the school curriculum to reduce homework and mitigate student stress during the COVID-19 endemic. Minister Chan Chun Sing responded that schools utilize established homework policies to coordinate manageable workloads while prioritizing student well-being and curriculum recovery over assessment pressure. He highlighted that maintaining school operations and social connections through Home-Based Learning provided students with normalcy and helped ease their anxieties. Specific policy interventions included cancelling year-end examinations for Primary 3 and Primary 4 students and removing Common Last Topics from national examinations. These measures aim to safeguard student development and ensure that learning remains balanced and sustainable despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Transcript
9 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education what changes can be made to the school curriculum so as to lessen the amount of homework given that may exacerbate stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 endemic.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: MOE is closely monitoring the disruptions to schooling caused by COVID-19 and has taken steps to ensure that students’ learning and well-being are not unduly compromised.
School leaders and teachers are mindful of the need for students to have a balanced life even during the pandemic, with adequate time for family bonding, personal interests and rest. They are therefore mindful of the need to keep homework load manageable. Every school has an established homework policy that addresses such needs, with school-based measures to manage and coordinate the amount of homework.
Beyond homework, there are also other sources of stress in students’ lives during the pandemic. By keeping schools open as far as possible, and ensuring that learning can still continue under Home-Based Learning (HBL) conditions, we provided students with a sense of normalcy and sustained social connections, which have been helpful to easing their anxieties.
When students return to school from extended HBL, the emphasis in schools is on checking on their well-being and curriculum recovery, and not on rushing to complete the syllabus or prepare for assessment. That is why we have cancelled the Primary 3 and Primary 4 year-end examinations and removed the Common Last Topics from national examinations. These decisions have also been helpful to safeguard students’ development and well-being.
Through these efforts, we seek to help our students cope with the stress and anxieties exacerbated by COVID-19 disruptions.