2019 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2007)

[ammonite]

To be honest, though my ds2’ chinese is not great and dh and ds1 don’t speak chinese, i never felt i could blame it on the environment because there are indian students who do really well in chinese with weekly tuition, religiously revising and using e-resources. Besides, the same environment meant that english is a breeze for him.

[ammonite]

Chenlaoshi’s sharing is very good. Thank you, laoshi!

[phtthp]

last week, in some schools : 2018 P5 SA2 Oral (English / Mother Tongue) and Composition (zuowen) Paper 1 … already started

[sembgal]

phtthp:

last week, in some schools : 2018 P5 SA2 Oral (English / Mother Tongue) and Composition (zuowen) Paper 1 ... already started

Can you share the topics ?

[Dino]

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/exams-assessments-mid-year-fewer-primary-secondary-schools-10767370


no mid year exams for sec 1 next year

[sweetbaby]

https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/-learn-for-life---preparing-our-students-to-excel-beyond-exam-results


Please refer to this link for more information on changes in Sg education landscape.

[phtthp]

Dino:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/exams-assessments-mid-year-fewer-primary-secondary-schools-10767370

a very Bad move, indeed !

for Psle : actually, P5 is the more crucial year.
P6 : just leave a few remaining Topics to cover, to teach. The rest of P6 are merely a revision of P5 + whatever
balance of P6 Topics, left un-covered.

Imagine now do away with P5 (CA1, SA1), as suggested by above report statement, published. So, now left with only P5 SA2 (2020 onwards), for current 2018 P3 students, born 2009, ie. the Pioneer batch of 2021 PSLE AL implementation students.

Without sitting for 2020 P5 (CA1 / SA1), since said do away with SA1 (mid-year exam) : P5 (parents students ) can get a rude shock, from their 2020 P5 SA2 results !

Furthermore, students depend on P5 SA2 results to apply for DSA in P6, to Secondary schools. Foolish to remove P5 SA1 exam ! Imagine if one do badly at P5 SA2, how to apply DSA ? You want to apply, also feel \"paiseh\", to submit lousy results to Secondary schools

If OYK want to remove P3 mid-year SA1 exam, it is perfectly all right to remove, because P3 : No (Zero) impact to DSA application, as

a)

P3 is still very far away from (P5 / P6), Upper primary, in terms of time-frame, and

b)

there is No streaming, at end of P3.
Students in (P3 & P4) remain inside the same class, until End of P4, where there is streaming to new P5 classes & choosing new subject combination. eg : streamed to those P5 classes, that offer Higher Chinese, vs. get streamed to Normal Chinese classes.

However, one really should not touch P5, as P5 is an even more important year ! Not advisable

should have consulted all P5 parents in schools for their opinion first, before announcing the move : is this really what we want ?

After all, who is sitting for PSLE ?
is the P6 students, themselves !
And, who are behind the scene, constantly providing silent moral support, & encouragement to the P6 students ? Is the parents, themselves ! Thus, ought to seek their opinion first

Do away with P3 SA1 (mid-year) or Sec 1 SA1 or Sec 3 SA1 : Fine, no objection !
Why ? Reason ?
Because (P3, Sec 1, Sec 3) : no streaming involved, so no (zero) impact.

But, Please do Not touch P5 (CA1 and SA1). There is a saying, \"Do not put all your eggs (investment), into one basket. Risky, in case you get burnt ! Should diversify into stocks (shares), bonds, etc. \"

example

say, a student did well in P5 SA1, but done badly at P5 SA2 : at least the P5 SA1 results can help to \"pull up\" (rescue) the overall P5 year-end results, right ?

Now, MOE new announcement : has put everything into one basket, \"the P5 SA2 results basket\"

[.010675zeit]

Aren’t you happy there’ll be no more MYE 9 mths after PSLE (Sec 1) and also 6 mths after Sec 2 streaming (Sec 3)? I imagine many Sec 1 students need time to adjust to sec school life after the high stakes PSLE.


Sec schools (IP/OP/NP) will continue to give them bite-sized common tests.

Maybe that will give those sports/aesthetics students more time to catch up on their studies because the nationals and SYF (alternate year) usually take up the entire April.

[Laura02]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/why-is-unemployment-rising-3-burning-questions-on-jobs


https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/job-mismatch-a-key-worry-in-tackling-unemployment-experts

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapore-budget-2017/unemployment-could-rise-further-as-singapore-faces

The unemployment numbers are relatively low in Singapore, so most of us do not feel the pinch of structural unemployment, but I think many of us are aware that many jobs that most of us middle age adults were trained for are becoming obsolete, if not already non-existent. And many of the jobs our children will be competing for when they enter the job market are possibly non-existent now.

SO the solution is that all of us must be prepared to constantly study, throughout life. Most professional sectors already mandate continuing professional education (or we do not get our license renewed). Fortunately, all of us, I hope, enjoy studying, learning new things. And that is something we should pass on to our children - the somewhat unquantifiable, un-materialistic love of learning. Not for short-term material gain.

I hope our children focus on learning to learn, to teach themselves new concepts and teach themselves to think - critically, logically and to come up with new ideas. I hope we do not train them to be computer CPUs - to memorize model answers just to get the short-term material benefit of entry to THAT school.

[little2mato]

Estéema:

For kids who need help with English main paper, please prepare your kids early. Language skills need time to master.


Academia has been strong in preparing students for main paper & very strong with Oral & DSA prep. Just rec'd their latest info (I don't suggest those doing this year's PSLE to attend as it'll surely put too much expectations & stress on yr child being so close to exams).

I just recall that Mr Sherman Tseng used to instruct us parents they're more keen to counsel & motivate kids abt what they want to achieve in life & how learning the English language well & speaking well in oral will help them in life rather than us parents look at grades as guide. I believe he's looking to spur the child & sparkle their interests to put in effort in their learning with a purpose rather then mopping in/out tuition. Happened for my child who initially hv not gel in as he joined in late in Aug of P5 when the P6s were prep ard this time of year. He didn't want to continue his lesson but we survived thro past Oct & he started enjoying learning with Sherman & his P6 CA1 scored showed immediate improvement (I still use sch grades coz I can't teach S&T well).

Hope parents help kids to persevere once they find a good educator & not give up too soon. But of course if it cuts into loosing interests bcoz no chemistry with teacher after a couple of months, then listen to your child. Make informed changes.

https://mailchi.mp/085613933c99/examination-preparation-our-way?e=bd3ebc1070

For English Composition, we found Writers@Work hv good methodologies. But maybe other parents hv better learning centres to recommend.

Hope kids going into P6 year in 2019 prepare well ahead.

Hi,
Appreciate you could share more abt Academia.
Thanks