Why don't we learn about taxes in school? Education Minister Chan Chun Sing asked burning audience questions by Joanne Peh

Do ministers use sunscreen and go for facials?

The public had some burning questions for Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing and local actress Joanne Peh was there to ask them.

In an Instagram Reel jointly published on Oct 4, Joanne asked Chan a series of questions — both lighthearted and serious — sent in by netizens. The clip was to promote the new season of the talkshow A Conversation with Minister, which debuts on Oct 15 at 8.30pm on Channel 8.  

In response to the question about his skincare routine, Chan, 54, joked: "No, I use SAF camouflage paint. You ask all the army guys, they all look very good."

Joanne, 41, laughed but was not convinced, as she reckoned the paint would block her pores.

Another question Joanne received from her audience for Chan was whether he regretted becoming a minister, to which he said no.

Joanne — who previously interviewed Chan on the 2023 season of A Conversation with Minister and on her own podcast What Do I Know? — didn't miss a beat as she said: "Of course he has to say no, right?"

Jokes aside, Chan also received some serious questions.

"Why are we not learning budgeting/taxes filing/health and nutrition/illnesses in school?" Joanne read.

Chan responded that the ministry would teach all of the aforementioned topics, but every time they added something to the syllabus, they had to ask themselves what to take out of it.

Some matters are not necessarily learnt in school either and could be learnt at home, he said.

"I think we learn a lot of things from our usual life experiences," he said, adding: "I learnt mathematics by playing cards with my grandmother, by collecting money from my grandfather's shop in the past."

Exams are 'for you to know your learning progress': Chan Chun Sing

Chan was also asked: "Can kids take major exams at an older age instead of 12?"

Students in Singapore take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at the end of Primary 6, when they are 12.

"They can take exams at any time, but the more important thing is that they must have the correct mindset," he responded.

"The exam is not a competition with others, it's for you to know your learning progress and where best you should be in the next phase of your learning journey."

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The PSLE grading system was changed in 2021 from an aggregate score to one where each subject is given an achievement level from one to eight to "reduce fine differentiation" of exam results at a young age and recognise their achievements "regardless of how their peers have done".

However, the existence of PSLE continues to be a hot button issue, which Chan addressed in Parliament in March.

"Let me state that if we see our worth as being defined by exam results only, removing the PSLE will not remove stress," he said. "Neither is removing all stress our goal."

He said that students need help to manage and overcome stress.

He added that PSLE and exams like the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) are not an end in and of themselves, but meant to help children find a suitable learning environment for the next stage of their education.

"Let's help our students to understand their strengths, approach stress and challenges with the right mindset and use exams to right-site themselves for the next stage of learning, rather than as a competition to beat others," he said.

The SEC will replace the current separate O, N(A) and N(T)-level certifications from 2027 through students sitting for a common exam.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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