DSA 2017

[lee_yl]

I recently found out that of the 16,000+ primary school children who applied for DSA last year, only 2000+ were successful.


I was rather shocked by this figure but when I told my best friend about it, she didn’t quite believe me and said the figure was not possible.

I think it would be useful to make the success rate for DSA applications public and transparent so that parents and students have a rough idea on their chances. No point raising the expectations and then what they get is disappointment after an agonising wait, not to mention the time and resources expended in preparing for the DSA application.

If one knows that he/ she has only 10% chance of getting to a specific school via DSA, one may think hard before giving it a shot or just spend the time and energy to prepare for PSLE.

[Nebbermind]

I always find it disturbing that people seem to think that those who did not score well in psle did not put in hard work.

[Terryy]

Nebbermind:

I always find it disturbing that people seem to think that those who did not score well in psle did not put in hard work.

People assume they cannot study and only play. From a perspective of a person who plays sports myself, getting into a good school team with a good coach is also crucial in doing well in it. DSA is not a backdoor into a school, but to help children academically and also reaching their full potential in their sport or art... Of course without proper regulations then it becomes a system open to abuse...

[lee_yl]

Terryy:

People assume they cannot study and only play. From a perspective of a person who plays sports myself, getting into a good school team with a good coach is also crucial in doing well in it. DSA is not a backdoor into a school, but to help children academically and also reaching their full potential in their sport or art... Of course without proper regulations then it becomes a system open to abuse...

But it can be pretty upsetting for some who might not do so well at O-levels. When friends in their new school ask them which sec school they were from, should they reply RI?

[jetsetter]

lee_yl:

I recently found out that of the 16,000+ primary school children who applied for DSA last year, only 2000+ were successful.


I was rather shocked by this figure but when I told my best friend about it, she didn't quite believe me and said the figure was not possible.

I think it would be useful to make the success rate for DSA applications public and transparent so that parents and students have a rough idea on their chances. No point raising the expectations and then what they get is disappointment after an agonising wait, not to mention the time and resources expended in preparing for the DSA application.

If one knows that he/ she has only 10% chance of getting to a specific school via DSA, one may think hard before giving it a shot or just spend the time and energy to prepare for PSLE.

It's the \"fixation\" on only those top few IP schools that's causing this problem.

No doubt 20% DSA places sounds promising like coast said, but tbh, how many of us want to go thru the hassle of preparing for DSA to those mid-tier sec schools? How many want our kids to pursue ALP, LLP, food sciences for 4 years?

I think NCM wants to promote those mid-tier sec schools like St Theresa. In his speech, he cited the convent's hockey route as an e.g. MOE must send a message to all mid-achieving hopefuls that mid-tier schools are easier to get in. Maybe a lot of ordinary students and parents lack confidence, cos everyone here in KSP kept scaring people that the candidate needs to have Platinum medals, must be \"numbered\" or \"seeded\" in the national tally, etc. Who dares to give it a stab leh?

Hopefully when this exercise goes online in 2019, things will improve. With greater convenience, many will be enticed to log on to apply.

[lee_yl]

jetsetter:

It's the \"fixation\" on only those top few IP schools that's causing this problem.

No doubt 20% DSA places sounds promising like coast said, but tbh, how many of us want to go thru the hassle of preparing for DSA to those mid-tier sec schools? How many want our kids to pursue ALP, LLP, food sciences for 4 years?

I think NCM wants to promote those mid-tier sec schools like St Theresa. In his speech, he cited the convent's hockey route as an e.g. MOE must send a message to all mid-achieving hopefuls that mid-tier schools are easier to get in. Maybe a lot of ordinary students and parents lack confidence, cos everyone here in KSP kept scaring people that the candidate needs to have Platinum medals, must be \"numbered\" or \"seeded\" in the national tally, etc. Who dares to give it a stab leh?

Your post reminds me of a case I read in KSP sometime back.

Last year, there was this mummy who kept posting how sorry, v v sorry, she was to her son and was asking in KSP how to revoke the accepted DSA. The mummy apparently persuaded her son to try to DSA for a mid-tier school while her son asked if he could give RI a shot via DSA which she disagreed feeling that it would be a waste time. After the PSLE results were released, her son's t-score was above the COP for RI but it was too late then. This episode left a strong impression on me

[pirate]

lee_yl:

I recently found out that of the 16,000+ primary school children who applied for DSA last year, only 2000+ were successful.


I was rather shocked by this figure but when I told my best friend about it, she didn't quite believe me and said the figure was not possible.

Of course it is possible. If 14,000+ out of the 16,000+ applied for DSA to the same 5 schools, it is not only possible, it is inevitable... :siam:

Actually, according to Minister, there were 16,000+ applications (with some applying to more than one school), out of which 2,800 students were admitted into secondary school via DSA, with about half successful in getting into IP via DSA. So it is not 16,000+ students who applied.

[Pen88n]

pirate:

lee_yl:

I recently found out that of the 16,000+ primary school children who applied for DSA last year, only 2000+ were successful.


I was rather shocked by this figure but when I told my best friend about it, she didn't quite believe me and said the figure was not possible.

Of course it is possible. If 14,000+ out of the 16,000+ applied for DSA to the same 5 schools, it is not only possible, it is inevitable... :siam:

Actually, according to Minister, there were 16,000+ applications (with some applying to more than one school), out of which 2,800 students were successful, with about half successful in getting into IP via DSA. So it is not 16,000+ students who applied.

Just purely analysing the stats:

PSLE yearly cohort is about 40,000+. If 16,000 applied DSA, that is about 40% (or slightly less) of the cohort applying DSA. Now consider the success rate of 2,000 - that is about 12.5% success rate for application (every 1 in 8 is successful - actually not too bad). So if all 2,000 successful ones accepted the offer, 5% of the PSLE cohort already have secondary school places reserved before taking PSLE.

Yearly GEP cohort is about 450, and definitely not all successful in DSA. So bulk of DSA successful ones are from mainstream based on the stats. I know, I know, the controversy is about which top IP school again.....haiz......

[coast]

jetsetter:

I think NCM wants to promote those mid-tier sec schools like St Theresa. In his speech, he cited the convent's hockey route as an e.g. MOE must send a message to all mid-achieving hopefuls that mid-tier schools are easier to get in. Maybe a lot of ordinary students and parents lack confidence, cos everyone here in KSP kept scaring people that the candidate needs to have Platinum medals, must be \"numbered\" or \"seeded\" in the national tally, etc. Who dares to give it a stab leh?

Hopefully when this exercise goes online in 2019, things will improve. With greater convenience, many will be enticed to log on to apply.

You have hit the nail!

Yes, I believe the success rate will improve With a centralised online application portal and a common application form, it will be easy for MOE to update its DSA brochure/ booklet with clear instructions. School can explain or even complete certain portions for the students should they seek help. Helpful parents can guide each other too.

[coast]

jetsetter:

I think NCM wants to promote those mid-tier sec schools like St Theresa. In his speech, he cited the convent's hockey route as an e.g. MOE must send a message to all mid-achieving hopefuls that mid-tier schools are easier to get in. Maybe a lot of ordinary students and parents lack confidence, cos everyone here in KSP kept scaring people that the candidate needs to have Platinum medals, must be \"numbered\" or \"seeded\" in the national tally, etc. Who dares to give it a stab leh?

Hopefully when this exercise goes online in 2019, things will improve. With greater convenience, many will be enticed to log on to apply.

You have hit the nail!

Yes, I believe the success rate will improve With a centralised online application portal and a common application form, it will be easy for MOE to update its DSA brochure/ booklet with clear instructions. School can explain or even complete certain portions for the students should they seek help. Helpful parents can guide each other too.