SINGAPORE (October 18, 2023) – Back-to-back enrichment classes, endless mock test papers, piles of homework and assignments are what the vast majority of Singapore’s pre-teen kids need to face regarding their studies, particularly with Singapore math. The pressure that these 12 year old children face can only be described as “suffocating” during their Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). Nearly 70% of children express a strong dislike towards examinations, while every eight student misses as many as three months of school due to anxiety and depression.
In this backdrop, learning becomes more about memorisation, repetition and discipline rather than curiosity and passion. This degree of focus on studies with little or no rest and play is neither healthy nor sustainable, especially among children so young.
Charis Chio is the founder of Smartli, Singapore’s first mathematics role-playing game (RPG). She recalls a time where playing, imaginative learning, and creating fond memories were a big part of life, which is alarmingly absent in the lives of her own nieces and nephews who spend much of their best hours perfecting their math.
Chio’s desire to have these children experience the pure, joyful flame of learning turned in to her very desire and motivation to develop Smartli.
Through its interactive and engaging platform developed primarily with the notoriously hated Singapore Mathematics in mind, Smartli is designed to rekindle children’s curiosity and excitement in learning. It creates a game that rewards young children for solving problems, abolishing the fear of failure while instilling an enjoyment in the problem-solving process. Smartli brings the visual aspects of this course to life, making it easier and faster to learn math, while giving children an engaging environment within which to absorb the required information and techniques.
Smartli was launched in August 2023, and gained traction with more than 100 users during its first month. The company has also initiated a drive to raise S$ 10 million in seed funding, for the expansion of the platform and to support a deeper commitment to revolutionise the country’s educational landscape.
Smartli also plans to enhance its technological infrastructure and integrate massive multiplayer online (MMO) and generative AI elements into the game, allowing children to familiarise themselves with the use of technology at a young age.
Singapore is pushing for more technical integration in their education system, and Smartli proves that properly channeled technology can be an invaluable tool in education.