Any Updates As To When PSLE T-Scores Will Be Scrapped?

[jetsetter]

ChiefKiasu:

sleepy:

By the way, I agreed with one of the earlier posts

Cannot expect so many leaders wah. Need 1 chief with vision and some doers, some thinkers, some marketeers... :

Yes. And the funny thing is, in the end, most want their kids to be doctors and lawyers. So how to apply leadership skills? Hospital admin?

Group/CEO of TTSH/SGH/NUH/Parkway Health/RMG/Singhealth/Q&M...
Partner of law firms
:rotflmao:

I don't think that's necessarily the kind of \"leaders\" they endeavour to churn out. They probably want our children to grow up to become more confident of expressing their views and opinions, to proactively take up social responsibilities beyond what's required of them, to become a more emphatic listener not just an effective communicator, more sociable by reaching out to people from different social classes, to galvanise the peers, to generate think-out-of-the-box ideas, dare to dream, and above all, be adventurous enough to venture out of their comfort zones...

The reason why we're pumping in so much resources and dishing out grants to help shore up our SMEs is because the G probably discovered some time back that we cannot be over reliant on MNCs to provide employment for our workers. Many SMEs were started by entrepreneurs who have some sort of intrinsic \"leadership\" trait, or \"gungho\"/\"can-do\" spirit in them. A number of SME leaders are not quite from the mainstream, many of whom graduated from ITEs or polys. They have no qualms in venturing out of the norm and in taking a non-conventional path...

We need more of such gungho leaders in the future, not necessarily from the pool of school 'dropouts' but from the unis as well, if we want to build our SG Brand and to take it to the world. SMEs must become MNCs some day, with their global HQ based on this red dot. We only have a few right now. The others are stat board-turned-GLCs 'semi-supported' by TH which are not counted as SMEs. The leaders in GLCs are mostly retired army colonels or perm secs who had to make way for new scholars to take over in their former ministries.

Of course not every one of our DC is a natural born leader and there're only that many leadership posts in the world out there. Some people need to play the role of a follower anyway. I guess MOE probably just wants to jolt every one up by sowing the seeds in their hearts first, let them discover their potential and then harness on the potential of those handful who manage to rise up from the pack through the myriad of programmes they intend to roll out.

[Song22]

When wider banding occurs, if a student who wish to go JC section of RI or HCI, would they rather choose O level than IP? Since going IP may means possibility of balloting to one of the same band IP schools perhaps among RI, HCI, Catholic High, Dunman High, VS, ACSI etc. Of course DSA student will not face this issue.


Would NUSH becomes the most popular school since it is more definite (due to its specialization) entry than being allocated to one of the IP schools through possible balloting?

[Ikid]

MOE can start to invest resources in more tier 2 and 3 secondary schools, introduce niche programs, get them the best teachers, offer attractive programs in these selected schools. Given time, these schools will be top schools one day, similar to how the 9 GEP centers become popular. Once these schools’ standards are raised, parents will look at them.

Identify parents’ preferences for schools, make the selected schools to be special, be it in time table, talent program, overseas exchange program or tie up with some stat board or large organizations in the program. MOE can select secondary schools base on their location so that not all top schools are concentrated in one or two districts.
If over these 5 years, these schools produce results, more parents may consider to opt them as their choices too.

[jetsetter]

iRabbit:

I've been thinking how is moe going to ensure diversity of student population in top schs. Besides banding, they might do this.


You know how GST voucher amount is calculated. It's based on annual income and home value. Do you think they will go as far as imposing a min quota for each SES for top schs? Would parents be able to accept this if it happens?

But being Kiasuparents, we can always game the system. :boogie: PSLE year, both parents quit their jobs, sell their houses and stay in rental!

Okay, just kidding. Don't torch me, okay. :torchme:

I don't think they will stratify them according to their household income or size of their HDB flats and post them to sec schools that have a set quota to cater to various segments of society...What Chairperson of Education GPC Denise Phua had suggested in her speech during the Debate on President's Address (25 Jan 2016) was this:
[quote]Think Programmes, yes, even programmes for the gifted, and make these programmes available across more physical school campuses – so that students of different abilities and talents can grow up together under one roof.

Suggestion Four:

Pilot Inclusive Education Villages across Singapore to house students of different abilities and backgrounds. There is no better way to learn inclusion except to play, eat, interact and learn with others who are unlike yourself. Let those who are academically stronger learn via subject-banded classes; but design school campuses that allow diversity and vibrant social interactions for all groups.[/quote]She is proposing an Inclusive Education Village to bring students of different learning abilities and socio-econ backgrounds together under one roof. :roll:

IIRC, in NCM's speech last Friday, he mentioned this will start with the Sec 3 students via those OBS Coney Island camps. There'll be cohort camps for students from different schools coming together to interact on Coney Island and Pulau Ubin next time. LOLOLOL!!!!

[dimsum]

Song22:

When wider banding occurs, if a student who wish to go JC section of RI or HCI, would they rather choose O level than IP? Since going IP may means possibility of balloting to one of the same band IP schools perhaps among RI, HCI, Catholic High, Dunman High, VS, ACSI etc. Of course DSA student will not face this issue.


Would NUSH becomes the most popular school since it is more definite (due to its specialization) entry than being allocated to one of the IP schools through possible balloting?

Good questions raised.... this means DSA becomes even more important if one doesn't want to be subject to balloting!

[dimsum]

jetsetter:

IIRC, in NCM's speech last Friday, he mentioned this will start with the Sec 3 students via those OBS Coney Island camps. There'll be cohort camps for students from different schools coming together to interact on Coney Island and Pulau Ubin next time. LOLOLOL!!!!

This is so exciting! Boys' school and girls' school? :evil:

[jetsetter]

sushi88:

I agree with you. While we are mindful of social mobility and fair opportunities, we need to ensure that we do not over penalise the same people who have worked hard to get there. Some people who are well off today are also people who were terribly poor in yester years. It would be punishing to tell this group that \"Sorry we have to give opportunities to the lesser privileged when this group also put in their fair share of hard work with their kids to thrive in the system. I still feel that meritocracy rules.

Good points there, ss88. To add to that, some people who are well off today are also people who laboured hard to 'slay' the T-score system and subsequent ones in yester years, so that our DC may enjoy a better quality life and holistic education today.

Today's Parentocracy is a by-product of Yesterday's Meritocracy, not necessarily Legacy.

So please don't over-condemn Parentocracy which was brought about by this very same system that enabled many of us to move up the social ladder. I think MOE needs to manage this carefully. I quote MP Denise Phua who criticised Parentocracy during the Debate on President's Address (25 Jan 2016):
[quote]On Parentocracy. The second unhealthy \"P\" of our education landscape is Parentocracy. It is commonly described as a phenomena in which a child’s education is shaped according to the wishes and opportunities that can be afforded by his parents. As the stakes of academic scores become higher, Parentocracy will further rear its ugly head. Parentocracy restricts social mobility and can unfairly deprive those with lesser resources and networks, undermining the development of their potential.

In the case of the Direct School Admissions programme, for example, it is an open secret that children from more affluent backgrounds stand a higher chance of benefitting from it since they could be nurtured from young in the arts or even sports. In the case of overseas exchange programmes or internships, the more affluent parents will be better able to put their children through. We need to level the playing field as much as possible.[/quote]

[jetsetter]

pirate:

sleepy:

Just curious... are there really that many parents complaining about t score and proposing to abolish t score?

Or is it another misinterpretation by the government? :evil:

Some years ago, the edu minister at that time suggested reducing weightage of mother tongue on t score
probably due to parents complaining about the difficulty of studying Chinese

Did i remember correctly that caused an uproar and that idea was scrapped completely?
Eventually it remains status quo

The complaint is about the tuition arms race, no? MOE's conclusion is that the arms race is brought about by the T-score. So, don't have to complain specifically about T-score.

I think so...maybe they heard from residents during the MPS. That could be why a couple of MPs spoke up on tuition culture in Singapore. Just recently in Jan 2016, WP's Png Eng Huat mentioned it again in Parliament:
[quote]I do urge MOE to commission a study into the tuition culture because it will help our educators to formulate better policy decisions in the next chapter.

Moving away from basic education, how far are we prepared to inspire our young to shoot for the stars in the pursuit of their interests at the tertiary level? Is the Government pull out all the stops to attract a Nobel Laureate to take up a research or teaching chair at one of the local universities so that the Laureate can inspire a student to dream big?

We need role models in life to inspire ourselves to greater heights. This Government has gone to great lengths to pursue an Olympic medal using foreign talents in the hope that the move will bring glory to the nation and the imported Olympians could be role models for our young athletes.

In the next chapter, it is my hope that Singapore will produce a Nobel Laureate of our own. Almost 900 Nobel Laureates have been recognised since 1901, countries such as Azerbaijan, Cypress, Algeria, Guatemala, St Lucia, Madagascar to name a few, have all produced a Laureate or two each.

Is this Government prepared likewise with the same vigour in our human capital outside of sports? A Nobel Laureate is recognised by his or her own country of birth, so we cannot engineer that by import.
Mdm Speaker, in the next chapter in education, I do hope to see a deeper engagement between our institutes of higher learning and local SMEs and GLCs in the area of Research and Development.

Many American universities were intricately involved in the US Space programme from Project Mercury to Project Apollo and to the Space Shuttle programme. The benefits that such deep collaboration brings to the schools, the students and the community at large are immeasurable. I am heartened to read in the papers that six students from Singapore polytechnics have had their invention patented by Boeing and their names listed as co-inventors of the patent recently. Such news is inspiring. I wish our young inventors well and hope that their inventions will go into commercial production someday.[/quote]
The MT protest came as a surprise. Those few thousands who protested or petitioned against the change probably had DC who were very good in MT/HMT, so they felt they might be disadvantaged if the weightage was lowered. I thought people would welcome the change too, but somehow it backfired. Didn't know so many people in Singapore like slogging for MT and HMT! :scared:

[pirated]

Meritocracy – 骂你多该死

Parentocracy – 骗人多该死

[jetsetter]

iRabbit:

Pen88n:

I guess the notion of removing T-score probably stem from discussion in this forum. But now that it is to be replaced with a new possibly more subjective grading system, there are divided views of the removal of the T-score meritocracy based system...... :skeptical:

In true JS' style ... there was concern about the lack of diversity in sec schs as far back as 2012 (or earlier).

http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/Latest%2BNews/Edvantage/Story/A1Story20121117-384073.html

THE concern that top schools lack diversity in their student populations is borne out by a Straits Times poll of 100 students from five premier schools: Raffles Girls', Raffles Institution, Nanyang Girls High, Hwa Chong Institution and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

The majority of those polled have no close friends from low-income homes and less academic education streams such as the Normal stream. Four in 10 have no close friends of a different race..

Gangnam Style?
:rotflmao: :imanangel: :imcool: