Opinions of the Primary School Registration System

[rains]

BeContented:

rains:

[quote=\"SAHM_TAN\"]

Do you include PV in P2B for breeding elitism too? For all schools or just the top schools?

I include PV in phase 2B for anyone who volunteers with the motive of wanting a place as a reward. The ones who are genuine volunteers are the ones with kids in the school already as they do not have much to gain except the inside story, which incidentally any existing parent of the school can volunteer to get too.

In the same note, alumni priority should also be limited to genuine active alumni members. If they are really connected to their alma mater, they would be actively involved whether they have kids in the school or not....[/quote]On the same note, singaporeans who don't live and work in Singapore should have their citizenship revoked. If they are really connected to Singapore, they would be actively involved whether they are physically present in Singapore or not ...

[SAHM_TAN]

3Boys:

SAHM_TAN:

Members who do not support P2A or P2B, do you not believe that all schools are good schools?


3boys,

In promoting diversity, are you against SAP schools too?

I am worried about SAP schools. It needs to be watched carefully.

In fairness, when the alumni priority scheme was started, it was probably with good intentions, and perhaps the issues were not as acute.

But now, the defensive responses from those who are on the scheme tell you immediately how entrenched it has become, and if that's not a red flag, I don't know what is.

I like SAP school, as I grow older, I appreciate my culture more and regret that I didn't pursue it more. Dd1 gets to experience all the Chinese culture activities, so that I don't have to spend extra money or drag my whole brood to let her attend extra classes outside.

It warms my heart when I see her reading 第子规 without me encouraging her in any way. Whether she understand or not is another matter lah LOL.

I'm so crazy that I'm hoping she can take HCL for PSLE and not becos of the bonus pts LOL.

Maybe I can guess what's your worry. I have my worries too but fr my observations on her behaviour I'm ok. It's all about the values, once the correct values are inculcated, everything else will fall into place.

When pple are comfortable with priviledges, it does not necc mean that there's something wrong. It's human nature, easy to give but difficult to take back. Once my kids ate sweets, it's not possible to tell them that they can never eat sweets. LOL.

[SAHM_TAN]

rains:

Those with siblings in the school will get priority in phase one and most people will support this phase because most people are not nuts like me who gave birth after an eight-year difference.


To me, phase one is also unfair - to people like me. My kid has a sibling, just that she will only register for P1 when the elder one has graduated from the primary school.

It's not fair to make people like me go through two rounds of madness. Yeah, we are the very very minority which most people don't care, so we have to suffer the injustice silently.

You have P2A2 mah, for siblings who had studied in the school of choice, relax, no 2 rounds of madness lah. Alumni part is parents not covering siblings mah.

[3Boys]

rains:

BeContented:

[quote=\"rains\"]
I include PV in phase 2B for anyone who volunteers with the motive of wanting a place as a reward. The ones who are genuine volunteers are the ones with kids in the school already as they do not have much to gain except the inside story, which incidentally any existing parent of the school can volunteer to get too.

In the same note, alumni priority should also be limited to genuine active alumni members. If they are really connected to their alma mater, they would be actively involved whether they have kids in the school or not....

On the same note, singaporeans who don't live and work in Singapore should have their citizenship revoked. If they are really connected to Singapore, they would be actively involved whether they are physically present in Singapore or not ...[/quote]Don't distract with the citizenship question, where there are some real legal and human rights issues, with alumni priority.

A far more pertinent analogy using Harvard and Oxford was used and you just dismissed it out of hand. I would say your example of citizenship is far less relevant.

[SAHM_TAN]

GLORYmum:

May I ask what is a school registration system that is fairest of them all?

All of age Singaporean kids' name put into a computer programme, computer programme randomly allocate kid to random school :rotflmao: :siam:

[3Boys]

SAHM_TAN:

3Boys:

[quote=\"SAHM_TAN\"]Members who do not support P2A or P2B, do you not believe that all schools are good schools?


3boys,

In promoting diversity, are you against SAP schools too?

I am worried about SAP schools. It needs to be watched carefully.

In fairness, when the alumni priority scheme was started, it was probably with good intentions, and perhaps the issues were not as acute.

But now, the defensive responses from those who are on the scheme tell you immediately how entrenched it has become, and if that's not a red flag, I don't know what is.

I like SAP school, as I grow older, I appreciate my culture more and regret that I didn't pursue it more. Dd1 gets to experience all the Chinese culture activities, so that I don't have to spend extra money or drag my whole brood to let her attend extra classes outside.

It warms my heart when I see her reading 第子规 without me encouraging her in any way. Whether she understand or not is another matter lah LOL.

I'm so crazy that I'm hoping she can take HCL for PSLE and not becos of the bonus pts LOL.

Maybe I can guess what's your worry. I have my worries too but fr my observations on her behaviour I'm ok. It's all about the values, once the correct values are inculcated, everything else will fall into place.

When pple are comfortable with priviledges, it does not necc mean that there's something wrong. It's human nature, easy to give but difficult to take back. Once my kids ate sweets, it's not possible to tell them that they can never eat sweets. LOL.[/quote]It's all about balance. If phase 2a was taking only 20% of places, I don't think people would feel so upset. Likewise SAP schools, don't overdo it, and life is fine. You a right about privileges by the way.....

Cheers

[rains]

[quote=\"SAHM_TAN]


You have P2A2 mah, for siblings who had studied in the school of choice, relax, no 2 rounds of madness lah. Alumni part is parents not covering siblings mah.[/quote]

I was just exaggerating and pretending to whine like those people who want to have their way lah

Phase 2A2 will not be removed for the purpose of plucking away the sour grapes

[3Boys]

SAHM_TAN:

GLORYmum:

May I ask what is a school registration system that is fairest of them all?

All of age Singaporean kids' name put into a computer programme, computer programme randomly allocate kid to random school :rotflmao: :siam:

The fact that there is no good solution at the moment does not mean we deny that there is a problem! In which case there will NEVER be a solution.

Alumni priority per se is not a problem, the fact that a huge proportion of admissions to popular schools is alumni priority, crowding out the others, IS a problem.

[SAHM_TAN]

rains:

SAHM_TAN:

Do you include PV in P2B for breeding elitism too? For all schools or just the top schools?

I include PV in phase 2B for anyone who volunteers with the motive of wanting a place as a reward. The ones who are genuine volunteers are the ones with kids in the school already as they do not have much to gain except the inside story, which incidentally any existing parent of the school can volunteer to get too.

I don't understand how it breeds elitism across the board.

I submitted 4 PV application forms and out of the 4 only 1 school will encourage the breeding of elitism.

School A - only have 1 duty for PV. As long you have commonsense you can do the job. All are welcomed to apply, balloting is carried out to determine who can PV.

School B - I called the in-charge and was accepted on the spot LOL, application to be submitted online as record.

School C - I collected the PV form, submitted it and a few months later rec'd a call to inform me that I'm accepted.

School D - I submitted the form, rec'd notification to attend interview. I was questioned and told to wait for letter of acceptance.

It's not the phase that creates elitism, it's the school. It's not sour grapes hor when I said it's the school and not the phase that creates elitism. I was accepted
by School D too. I'm very ordinary, nothing elite about me.

I PVed at my dd1's school to get a chance for her to be in the school but I'm willing to con't to help the school. Just that right now with my brood, I have to delay my help. I IOU first LOL. Anyway with 3 kids, I have many more yrs and chances to offer my services.

[pirate]

Sun_2010:

I doubt if those who studied at Harvard or Oxford get such leeway. Learned scholars( 3B, pirate and others) in this forum please comment

I don't know about Harvard, but I know that Oxford admissions take into account the school where the applicant comes from. 20 years ago, an admissions tutor once commented, \"Oh. 4As from Hwa Chong. Big deal. Everybody from Hwa Chong gets 4As\". If there are 2 applicants of the same calibre and only one vacancy left, one comes from a brand name school and another comes from a neighbourhood school nobody has ever heard of before, the one from the school nobody has ever heard of before is much more likely to get the place than the one from the brand name school.

The problem I see is not primary school admissions. The problem I see is university and secondary school admissions in Singapore failing to take into account where the candidate comes from, pretending that 'all schools are good schools'.

I would say tweak the secondary school admission system instead of the primary school admission system. Introduce a handicap system into the secondary school admission system. Say take the national mean T-score and the school's mean T-score. Then adjust the candidate's T-score by half* the difference between the national mean T-score and the school's mean T-score.

For example, say the national mean T-score in a particular year is 220. School X's mean T-score is 250, while School Y's is 200. Student A and Student B both have raw T-scores of 270. A's adjusted T-score will be 270-(0.5*(250-220)) = 255. B's adjusted T-score will however be 270+(0.5*(220-200)) = 280.

Seriously, someone from a school with mean T-score of 200 scoring 270 is much more impressive than someone from a school with mean T-score of 250 scoring 270.

I dare say all the angst about 'branded' primary school admission and lack of diversity will go away instantly.


* this number I only pull out of the air. Can be any appropriate factor or number based on the bell-curve.