New test will not put pupils under pressure
I do not think parents should oppose the Basic Competency Assessment (BCA) test.
It replaces the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) that parents of Primary Three pupils disliked so much. And yet, these parents are now opposing the BCA. They think that, like the TSA, it will increase the pressure on their children.
In fact the questions in the BCA test do not require drilling. They cover basic knowledge that students will learn in normal lessons. This is different from the TSA test, which contained many difficult and tricky questions. So these parents need not be worried about the BCA.
I agree with correspondents who have argued that tests and exams are just a part of our education system and our lives, students will always have to face them. It may be a test to determine the secondary school they will go to or sit for the Diploma of Secondary Education exam.
Nowadays, parents spoil their children and are overprotective, but children must learn to face challenges, as they will have to deal with them as adults in the workplace.
Also, parents and some teachers who say that the BCA would, like the TSA, affect the ranking of a school are wrong. It just tests and assesses the basic knowledge of students.