I AM writing in response to Mr Ee Teck Ee's letter, 'Here's why PSLE maths must be tough' (Nov 6).

Mr Ee addresses the emotional outcry among some parents against higher standards in Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) mathematics. Whatever the bottom line, can this emotional outcry be justified or rationalised?

The PSLE maths standard has increased drastically over the past few years. The level of toughness brings out a rather dangerous competition among 12-year-olds. When the benchmark becomes too high, pupils work hard only to ace the exam and not out of passion for the subject. But maths is like any other subject that requires passion, devotion and patience to do well.

The PSLE system is already so competitive that even the smartest pupils are on the losing end. If the standard continues to become tougher year by year, there will be a vast segregation between 'gifted' pupils and ordinary ones. To prevent something as undermining as this, there has to be a temporary stop in the level of toughness. This will give most pupils a chance to catch up.

Pupils who do exceptionally well are naturally good at maths. It has nothing to do with acquisition of good exam techniques. We need to give ourselves a reality check and realise that for the welfare of PSLE pupils, the wise decision is to tone down the level of competition.

Roshni Kapur (Miss)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.