Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) [*IP]

[HappyBlueBear]

slmkhoo:

TanJ:

[quote=\"soda\"]There're fans in the classrooms.


I wonder how this directive, controlling the temperature of elite schools' classrooms, helps improve the education of other schools. :scratchhead:

I think MOE should show a good example by switching to fans in all their depts first.

I always feel uncomfortable at the usage of the word 'elite'. It's like putting oneself at a higher class than others. Sorry, doesn't mean to criticise but just hope that we won't band schools into such categories.

I'm all for reducing the use of aircon in classrooms for reasons of saving the environment as much as saving money in general (which is presumably being spread out across other schools). Perhaps there can be a rule about using aircon only during the hottest periods of the day, or only when the indoor temperature reaches a certain point even when all windows are open and fans are at full blast. The girls can get used to it.[/quote]Agree. When the weather is cool (esp. the past weeks), why not save electricity and do a part for our environment? In fact, the majority of ds's class voted for no aircon for the early part of the day (until about 10.30-11 am) and they have been doing it.

[HVR]

osim:

Dd told me her Y1 classroom windows cannot be opened :). Aircon is a must.


Is it being elitist for using Aircon? I don't know why all the funding cuts now. Why compare IP schools with \"neighbourhood\" schools about facilities. The former pay much much higher fees anyway.

BTW, see the ITE College at AMK Ave 5. It's so high class like a business centre. From the design of the building, I guess the classrooms are aircon too. Why these kids can enjoy such luxurious facilities and the top students cannot just have the basic comfort of a cool environment to study in.

Yes, like the earlier post says, ask the MOE staff to turn off their office aircon first to show a good example.

Is our education turning somewhat \"communistic\"? There is no incentive to be smart or work hard now because MOe is trying to encourage every to appear average, not so called 'elitist'. I pray, there will not be anymore knee jerk reactions.

I made the same observation. Going forward, no PSLE t scores, good character DSA(?), someone also proposing 10 years through train, etc. Sometimes I wonder might as well be super rich or poor and better don't be somewhere in between. For example, whenever there are tax rebate/relief/break, I can only salivate because not too poor to qualify but not rich enough to maximise the tax rebate. Never hit $2000/- cap one. Might as well be poor, don't have to pay taxes and can receive handouts.Ok I am not serious but you get my point, sigh, the sandwich class.

[sharonkhoo]

HVR:

osim:

Is our education turning somewhat \"communistic\"? There is no incentive to be smart or work hard now because MOe is trying to encourage every to appear average, not so called 'elitist'. I pray, there will not be anymore knee jerk reactions.

I made the same observation. Going forward, no PSLE t scores, good character DSA(?), someone also proposing 10 years through train, etc. Sometimes I wonder might as well be super rich or poor and better don't be somewhere in between. For example, whenever there are tax rebate/relief/break, I can only salivate because not too poor to qualify but not rich enough to maximise the tax rebate. Never hit $2000/- cap one. Might as well be poor, don't have to pay taxes and can receive handouts.Ok I am not serious but you get my point, sigh, the sandwich class.

I believe in intrinsic motivation - doing something well for its own sake, for the general good of humanity/nation/family, or for personal satisfaction. I tell my kids to work for those things, not whether they are lauded or rewarded, and not to look only for material rewards or recognition. I also encourage them to be willing to make sacrifices for the common good, and my daughter is one of those who welcomed the move towards reduced aircon use, and her comment this morning when I read out the ST article to her was that they (the school) should cut down the expensive activities like overseas trips and have more in-house, in-school activities. We are in the income range where my daughter has to choose carefully what she gets involved in, but do not qualify for financial assistance, so she feels the difference between the haves and have-nots more keenly, I guess.

[BitterSweet]

slmkhoo:

HVR:

[quote=\"osim\"]Is our education turning somewhat \"communistic\"? There is no incentive to be smart or work hard now because MOe is trying to encourage every to appear average, not so called 'elitist'. I pray, there will not be anymore knee jerk reactions.

I made the same observation. Going forward, no PSLE t scores, good character DSA(?), someone also proposing 10 years through train, etc. Sometimes I wonder might as well be super rich or poor and better don't be somewhere in between. For example, whenever there are tax rebate/relief/break, I can only salivate because not too poor to qualify but not rich enough to maximise the tax rebate. Never hit $2000/- cap one. Might as well be poor, don't have to pay taxes and can receive handouts.Ok I am not serious but you get my point, sigh, the sandwich class.

I believe in intrinsic motivation - doing something well for its own sake, for the general good of humanity/nation/family, or for personal satisfaction. I tell my kids to work for those things, not whether they are lauded or rewarded, and not to look only for material rewards or recognition. I also encourage them to be willing to make sacrifices for the common good, and my daughter is one of those who welcomed the move towards reduced aircon use, and her comment this morning when I read out the ST article to her was that they (the school) should cut down the expensive activities like overseas trips and have more in-house, in-school activities. We are in the income range where my daughter has to choose carefully what she gets involved in, but do not qualify for financial assistance, so she feels the difference between the haves and have-nots more keenly, I guess.[/quote]agreed that independent schools can work on cutting down on quite a few things that use a lot of funds, but personally feel that it doesn't apply to RGS in the past few years, especially considering how poor the school has been lately because management has been channelling all the funds into new campus. They have cut down on arts programs (which is a shame, because those are not a huge burden in terms of funds, and contribute to a holistic education), they've cut down on CCAs (especially those that do not win prizes). I think it's a good idea to cut down on /some/ overseas trips, but I'm not willing to say all, because I've had a lot of friends who worked hard on projects for 1+ years and made it to international competition level but cannot go because school refuses to fund them.

I personally went with my team on an international competition last year and we had two low-income students in my group who could only afford to go because they both got financial assistance, and I'm worried that the funding cuts will affect things like this and will up denying deserving students some great opportunities

[BitterSweet]

MotherHen:

May I know if FPSP (Scenario Writing) is a RS project on its own, and how is it related to FPSP and/or CAP?


Sorry if that sounds like a silly question, but I'm getting really confused about the different RS projects :oops:

if you apply for CAP (the MOE programme), you have 2 options - firstly, to take a CAP RS, which is basically a literary RS, or secondly to take FPSP (Scenario Writing), which you need to be selected if I'm not wrong. So yeah, FPSP SW is a RS project. FPSP has three components - FPSP, Scenario Writing and CmPS, so SW is one of the components. Being part of FPSP SW will not affect your chances of getting into the MOE CAP seminar

[sharonkhoo]

BitterSweet:

agreed that independent schools can work on cutting down on quite a few things that use a lot of funds, but personally feel that it doesn't apply to RGS in the past few years, especially considering how poor the school has been lately because management has been channelling all the funds into new campus. They have cut down on arts programs (which is a shame, because those are not a huge burden in terms of funds, and contribute to a holistic education), they've cut down on CCAs (especially those that do not win prizes). I think it's a good idea to cut down on /some/ overseas trips, but I'm not willing to say all, because I've had a lot of friends who worked hard on projects for 1+ years and made it to international competition level but cannot go because school refuses to fund them.


I personally went with my team on an international competition last year and we had two low-income students in my group who could only afford to go because they both got financial assistance, and I'm worried that the funding cuts will affect things like this and will up denying deserving students some great opportunities

I think support for international competitions are OK as long as they are few, and of high standard. If not, maybe girls should just be warned beforehand that they should not attempt them if they can't afford to go? And many overseas trips are not of much value (in my opinion). My daughter has eliminated some RS because of cost concerns. I don't really know what else the school spends on, but I really hope they will economise where they can and not raise fees. Learning to cope with less, to make do, be economically innovative etc is an education in it's own right.

[jtoh]

I hope they’re not cutting back on international competition trips. The girls work hard for these competitions and they’re not frivolous trips. As far as I know, last year they cut back on the subsidies for the trips but those on financial assistance had their trips more or less fully paid for.

[MotherHen]

BitterSweet:

MotherHen:

May I know if FPSP (Scenario Writing) is a RS project on its own, and how is it related to FPSP and/or CAP?


Sorry if that sounds like a silly question, but I'm getting really confused about the different RS projects :oops:

if you apply for CAP (the MOE programme), you have 2 options - firstly, to take a CAP RS, which is basically a literary RS, or secondly to take FPSP (Scenario Writing), which you need to be selected if I'm not wrong. So yeah, FPSP SW is a RS project. FPSP has three components - FPSP, Scenario Writing and CmPS, so SW is one of the components. Being part of FPSP SW will not affect your chances of getting into the MOE CAP seminar

Thank you so much for the clarification

DD has been chosen for FPSP SW. If her application for CAP seminar is not successful, then she'll just be doing FPSP SW? Or will she still have to do another academic RS (to make up for the unsuccessful CAP seminar application)?

[BitterSweet]

MotherHen:

BitterSweet:

[quote=\"MotherHen\"]May I know if FPSP (Scenario Writing) is a RS project on its own, and how is it related to FPSP and/or CAP?


Sorry if that sounds like a silly question, but I'm getting really confused about the different RS projects :oops:

if you apply for CAP (the MOE programme), you have 2 options - firstly, to take a CAP RS, which is basically a literary RS, or secondly to take FPSP (Scenario Writing), which you need to be selected if I'm not wrong. So yeah, FPSP SW is a RS project. FPSP has three components - FPSP, Scenario Writing and CmPS, so SW is one of the components. Being part of FPSP SW will not affect your chances of getting into the MOE CAP seminar

Thank you so much for the clarification

DD has been chosen for FPSP SW. If her application for CAP seminar is not successful, then she'll just be doing FPSP SW? Or will she still have to do another academic RS (to make up for the unsuccessful CAP seminar application)?[/quote]congrats! FPSP SW is very fun, although there is a report that she will have to work on at the end of the year. that means that FPSP SW is her RS, and she does not need to do any other RS projects. The CAP seminar is a separate matter and unrelated because almost everything will be run by the MOE without the school's involvement.

just btw since I'm not in RGS anymore, could you tell me when CAP results will be coming out (if you know?)

[BitterSweet]

jtoh:

I hope they're not cutting back on international competition trips. The girls work hard for these competitions and they're not frivolous trips. As far as I know, last year they cut back on the subsidies for the trips but those on financial assistance had their trips more or less fully paid for.

from what I heard, the school has already been cutting back on a lot of expenses related to international competitions. a few teams made it to WSC internationals but the school didn't fund them because they were already funding OM and FPSP. the trips for OM and FPSP got cut in half (in terms of length) and most of the pre and post-competition activities were cancelled. as for the trips that were partially funded by the school, the percentage that is funded has decreased throughout the years. so really, it seems like the only next step to cut funding is to simply not fund the international competition trips, which would be disappointing.