PERI holistic assessment and social class

Abstract

Does PERI HA (Primary Education Review and Implementation committee Holistic Assessment) favor children coming from a more privileged class background? This study approaches the question through examining different forms of capital accumulated by children in different family class backgrounds. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted among 10 parents whose children study in Singapore public schools in 2014. All children are currently in or had just been through primary one level, in other words, been through the PERI HA programme. As such, data were analyzed based on the approaches that different parents adopt in their child’s learning process and how they justified their approach. Findings have revealed that in Singapore’s context, parents from the ‘Upper’ class with both high income and educational attainment might not be the best performers under PERI HA as shown in previous studies. It is rather the ‘Educated’ parents who dedicated their time fully to their children, can best equip them for the PERI HA programme.