Which Secondary school to choose in the East with lower T score?

[wonderwebmum]

Hi. My DD score is 189, means can choose either NA or express. We plan to choose express class at East Side but not many choices.


1. Bedok Green Sec (Express)
2, Springfield Sec (Express)
3. Jun Yuan Sec (Express)
4. Damai Sec (Express) or East Spring (Express) or Changi Changkat (Express)
5. Ngee Ann (NA)
6. Pasir Ris (NA)

Is it better to choose NA from a good school or Express from an average school?


Anyone who can advise or share some experience or info regarding this?

I am quite confused and the deadline is just 6 days.

Thanks

[floppy]

wonderwebmum\" post_id=\"1948853\" time=\"1574613779\" user_id=\"132460:

...
Is it better to choose NA from a good school or Express from an average school?
...

What’s your end game?

I’m assuming Poly is the most realistic option for now. Express means O Level, which means picking a poly course using O Level scores. Which also means you have to compete with Express students with much stronger foundations that your kid. IMHO, if you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention. The odds of your kid picking a choice poly course (as opposed to unpopular ones) using O Level scores of L1R2B2 is not high. N Level, on the other hand, means an opportunity to qualify via PFP. Less competition, better odds of entering those popular courses.

With that in mind, if you pick NA, you can choose the better secondary schools. The likelihood of their students succeeding in N Level / PFP is very high.

On the other hand, if she’s thinking of JC, Express may make sense. That said, you / she would have to be realistic. She will probably have to work 3x as hard as her peers to overcome her weak foundations. I wish her well but the odds of her ending up as cannon fodder in both O and A Level are much higher than her chances of winning Toto at this point in time.

TBF, the success rate of those schools putting their borderline students through O Level to JC is abysmal. Nonetheless, if you believe your kid is a late bloomer, and is willing to put in the hard work, go for it.

[zac's mum]

wonderwebmum\" post_id=\"1948852\" time=\"1574613742\" user_id=\"132460:

Hi. My DD score is 189, means can choose either NA or express. We plan to choose express class at East Side but not many choices.

1. Bedok Green Sec (Express)
2, Springfield Sec (Express)
3. Jun Yuan Sec (Express)
4. Damai Sec (Express) or East Spring (Express) or Changi Changkat (Express)
5. Ngee Ann (NA)
6. Pasir Ris (NA)

Is it better to choose NA from a good school or Express from an average school?


Anyone who can advise or share some experience or info regarding this?

I am quite confused and the deadline is just 6 days.

Thanks

In your 6 choices, I don’t think you can mix 4 Express and 2 NA in the choices like that.

Needs to be all 6 Express or all 6 NA.

Sorry I can’t help you decide between Express or NA. Not familiar with East side.

[sharonkhoo]

floppy\" post_id=\"1948867\" time=\"1574621197\" user_id=\"97579:

wonderwebmum\" post_id=\"1948853\" time=\"1574613779\" user_id=\"132460:

...
Is it better to choose NA from a good school or Express from an average school?
...

... Nonetheless, if you believe your kid is a late bloomer, and is willing to put in the hard work, go for it.

I agree with floppy's opinion in the rest of the post, but especially with this sentence. You should try to be very objective about your child - if she is quite able but did badly for some other reason (illness, didn't study etc) and you believe that the next 4 years will be different, then Express may be the right choice. If your daughter worked quite hard for PSLE, but is not so academically quick and able, and you don't see that changing much in the next 4 years, then giving her that extra year in NA may help her get better O level results in the end. The O level results will determine where she progresses to, so you should prioritise for that. If she ends up with O levels too poor to get into a poly course she wants, then that will leave her in a dilemma.

[floppy]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"1948891\" time=\"1574640330\" user_id=\"28674:

floppy\" post_id=\"1948867\" time=\"1574621197\" user_id=\"97579:

[quote=wonderwebmum post_id=1948853 time=1574613779 user_id=132460]...
Is it better to choose NA from a good school or Express from an average school?
...

... Nonetheless, if you believe your kid is a late bloomer, and is willing to put in the hard work, go for it.

I agree with floppy's opinion in the rest of the post, but especially with this sentence. You should try to be very objective about your child - if she is quite able but did badly for some other reason (illness, didn't study etc) and you believe that the next 4 years will be different, then Express may be the right choice. If your daughter worked quite hard for PSLE, but is not so academically quick and able, and you don't see that changing much in the next 4 years, then giving her that extra year in NA may help her get better O level results in the end. The O level results will determine where she progresses to, so you should prioritise for that. If she ends up with O levels too poor to get into a poly course she wants, then that will leave her in a dilemma.[/quote]Ultimately, only you can tell and decide; we can only offer opinions and suggestion.

You / your kid would have to be honest and truthful in your / her assessment. Not everyone is academically abled and there is no shame in not being one. Today, there are multiple paths available (compared to the past). As long as one don’t get fixated with the idea that Express is the best / 1 extra year for NA / stigma with NA etc and have an end game in mind, you can easily find a suitable path. It may not necessarily be the shortest or most direct, but it will definitely get you there.

[sharonkhoo]

And another take on the "extra year" issue (which I used on my older girl when she was choosing between JC and MI) - the "extra year" is a year of highly-subsidised education paid for by taxpayers’ money. Who doesn’t like handouts from the government?