【明報專訊】THE REPORT for the 2023 Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) has been published. The performance of students in Primary Three, Primary Six and Secondary Three has tumbled across the three subjects, namely Chinese, English and Mathematics, and has even reached an all-time low. The three-year COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the learning and development of school children. The fall in their academic performance has become a common phenomenon internationally. Against this backdrop, the significant decline in students' attainment rates in this year's TSA, the first since its suspension, was expected. While follow-up action is necessary, the path of pointless drilling of students in the assessment must not be trodden again.