Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)

[peasants]

zac's mum:

I read this very interesting and thought-provoking article on CNA thjs morning: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/teo-you-yenn-this-is-what-inequality-looks-like-on-the-record-10246872


Am reflecting on the other points she brought up, but I just wanted to mention here that I’m very grateful that our school has removed streaming/banding based on the P2 results from this year onwards. Truly appreciate the steps which the school is taking to allow our boys to grow at their own pace. I have heard of boys in other schools who are so miserable and demoralized from P1 Term 1 onwards all because they haven’t yet reached the developmental milestones for reading and fine motor writing.

Quoting the article:

“Because children have such different developmental capacities, some may just not be ready to read and write. It doesn’t mean that they are incapable. Learning is partly about what people think and believe they can learn. Many of the kids I see are demoralised quickly once they enter school. These are smart kids. These are kids who have capabilities and yet they are demoralised very quickly because they are framed as 'weak'.

When asked how to remedy this situation, she puts it simply.

“All anybody needs is time. Give it more time. We don’t have to be so quick to judge which child should be in which lane, which child should be in which kind of band. When we do that, we are losing our very precious human talent.”

Indeed, she can afford not to have tuition for her child when she can afford to. I admit can't afford to let my child have all tuition cos I can't afford to. She should come visit me.

[despmom99]

Hi asking on behalf of a friend. Is there scouts cca at acjs? How active is the cca group? She is thinking of a school for her son but hopes to let him join scouts.

[laughingcat]

ACSJ has scout. But because there is balloting process, so depends on your luck to get in. My DC attends the scouts and he likes it. As a scout or girl guides, one can form their own group to do the activities during the school holiday just to earn the badges. I did that for my child.

[zac's mum]

despmom99:

Hi asking on behalf of a friend. Is there scouts cca at acjs? How active is the cca group? She is thinking of a school for her son but hopes to let him join scouts.

Yes there is. But they only accept members from P3 onwards. And don’t choose a primary school based on what CCAs there are. Like laughingcat pointed out, there’s no guarantee you will get your choice of CCA.

If she really wants her boy to be a Scout, there are even external Scouting Associations to join. You don’t even have to be from a school group. I heard about this one from a friend:

https://anza.org.sg/groups/scouts/#!form/Scouts

[despmom99]

laughingcat:

ACSJ has scout. But because there is balloting process, so depends on your luck to get in. My DC attends the scouts and he likes it. As a scout or girl guides, one can form their own group to do the activities during the school holiday just to earn the badges. I did that for my child.

Thanks! Will update my friend. Just curious, why is there balloting for CCA?

[laughingcat]

CCA vacancies are also limiting. There are some CCA which are highly popular among the boys. So balloting is fair for new timer and those boys who wished to change CCA at the beginning of the year.

[zac's mum]

ACS Junior gets an honorable mention in the Straits Times today for being a holistic school :rahrah: Congratulations to all the boys who have secured a place in the school so far: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/early-balloting-for-p1-places-likely-at-chij-st-nicholas-girls-catholic-high?xtor=CS3-18

[Kenstro]

Well, as long as that doesn’t screw things up for the rest of us who are relying on later phases of entry…

[gpliu3]

My son is in P1 and I understand there will not be any streaming exercise throughout his 6 years in ACSJ, a new exercise introduced by the new principle.

I am a bit worried as the kids may not get educated at the level they need. This applies to both the brighter ones and the not so bright ones.
Will any parent here understand the consideration/reasoning of the school? As streaming is a common practice among SG primary schools.
Thanks.

[zac's mum]

gpliu3:

My son is in P1 and I understand there will not be any streaming exercise throughout his 6 years in ACSJ, a new exercise introduced by the new principle.

I am a bit worried as the kids may not get educated at the level they need. This applies to both the brighter ones and the not so bright ones.
Will any parent here understand the consideration/reasoning of the school? As streaming is a common practice among SG primary schools.
Thanks.

I thought this is an MOE directive. Just that other schools are taking longer to implement it.

My DS is in P2 and I am glad that the SA2 marks will no longer be used to segregate them into higher-ability vs mixed-ability P3 classes. I know my kid is a late bloomer, so I have no objection. Maybe it’s those parents who think their kids are HA but no superior resources allocated to them? There is the Thoburn program at P4 for such HA kids.

For the other end of the spectrum (the slower ability ones) - I am aware that the school provides pull-out lessons during each subject: lower ratio and more personalized attention. For those kids who are really struggling with the basics, I am also aware that the school provides after-school remedial lessons, as well as LSP and LSM programs.

These are done very discreetly. Perhaps that’s why you have not heard of them.

To me, I prefer this system, which is “customized” per child and depending on which subject they are weak in. Better than “labelling” and ostracizing the kid based on his overall score. In some neighborhood schools, the kids in the lower classes are so demoralized and give up because The HA class seems so far away & in a world of their own. At least in ACSJ the form class can still have normal friendships across the strata.

But have compassion on the ACSJ teachers because their job is not easy with such customized programs.