Choosing and Evaluating Primary Schools

[MerlionInGermany]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1958320\" time=\"1578619324\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1958320 time=1578619324 user_id=53606]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958318\" time=\"1578618574\" user_id=\"2964:

Right!
Perhaps it's a popular consideration coz only a small % of schools have affiliation.

Some “concepts” are just over hyped. Affiliation? Go! Less than 1km 2C ballot? Go! I have friends sending kids from Punggol to HW, Woodlands to HPPS, Pasir Ris to OLN, and one bought this run down flat to ballot for Rulang. It’s crazy.

And the outcome? Returns on investment? Do share success/non-success stories if u have.[/quote]None of them are success stories. Unless Guangyang sec is your dream school.

The OLN one had 200 affiliation to SJC, scored 18+, if go to SJC, had to do NA, so she went to Yuying Express. Where is the safety net? For your interest, my colleague was from JS, went to ACS Barker, and ended up in CJ. Where is the safety net?

[Nebbermind]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958327\" time=\"1578620884\" user_id=\"2964:

None of them are success stories. Unless Guangyang sec is your dream school.

The OLN one had 200 affiliation to SJC, scored 18+, if go to SJC, had to do NA, so she went to Yuying Express. Where is the safety net? For your interest, my colleague was from JS, went to ACS Barker, and ended up in CJ. Where is the safety net?

you were from ACS?

[MerlionInGermany]

floppy\" post_id=\"1958314\" time=\"1578617276\" user_id=\"97579:

Nebbermind\" post_id=\"1958307\" time=\"1578615703\" user_id=\"15571:

Base on the old T-score system, is the +3 (max) bonus point worth the effort of doing HCL?
Unless taking CL or HCL makes no diff to the kid, I feel it's 100x easier to be less careless or study harder to gain the extra 1 or 2 marks from each of the other subjects for the +3 points.
...

It’s easier to get +1 or +2 marks from each of the other subjects BUT +1 or +2 don’t necessarily equal +3 to your t-score.

Furthermore, old +3 helps a wide range of students, up to 3 below COP, and they are not subjected to ballot once t-score plus 3 is more than COP. New system only helps those that meet COP and you are still subjected ballot to those that meets the same COP and HCL criteria (which is likely to be more than before).

TL;DR. It’s worth doing HCL in the old system if you are aiming for certain schools.

In the old system, if you are a 23x (top 30%), and have a HCL merit, it allows you to do HCL in sec sch, and you only need to pass it at O, to skip Chinese in JC, so even if you are not aiming for any school, it helps too right?

[MerlionInGermany]

Nebbermind\" post_id=\"1958331\" time=\"1578621872\" user_id=\"15571:

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958327\" time=\"1578620884\" user_id=\"2964:

None of them are success stories. Unless Guangyang sec is your dream school.

The OLN one had 200 affiliation to SJC, scored 18+, if go to SJC, had to do NA, so she went to Yuying Express. Where is the safety net? For your interest, my colleague was from JS, went to ACS Barker, and ended up in CJ. Where is the safety net?

you were from ACS?

Me? No. My Chinese quite good.
:siam: before people come after me and say I stereotyping
You? From AC?

[floppy]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958332\" time=\"1578622061\" user_id=\"2964:

floppy\" post_id=\"1958314\" time=\"1578617276\" user_id=\"97579:

[quote=Nebbermind post_id=1958307 time=1578615703 user_id=15571]
Base on the old T-score system, is the +3 (max) bonus point worth the effort of doing HCL?
Unless taking CL or HCL makes no diff to the kid, I feel it's 100x easier to be less careless or study harder to gain the extra 1 or 2 marks from each of the other subjects for the +3 points.
...

It’s easier to get +1 or +2 marks from each of the other subjects BUT +1 or +2 don’t necessarily equal +3 to your t-score.

Furthermore, old +3 helps a wide range of students, up to 3 below COP, and they are not subjected to ballot once t-score plus 3 is more than COP. New system only helps those that meet COP and you are still subjected ballot to those that meets the same COP and HCL criteria (which is likely to be more than before).

TL;DR. It’s worth doing HCL in the old system if you are aiming for certain schools.

In the old system, if you are a 23x (top 30%), and have a HCL merit, it allows you to do HCL in sec sch, and you only need to pass it at O, to skip Chinese in JC, so even if you are not aiming for any school, it helps too right?[/quote]Yes. Good point. However, I would assume that remains unchanged in the new system. Hence, those taking HCL because they want to siam CL in JC, can continue to do so.

[Nebbermind]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958332\" time=\"1578622061\" user_id=\"2964:

In the old system, if you are a 23x (top 30%), and have a HCL merit, it allows you to do HCL in sec sch, and you only need to pass it at O, to skip Chinese in JC, so even if you are not aiming for any school, it helps too right?

CL vs HCL in pri school difference not that great.
CL vs HCL in sec school needs quite a bit more effort if wanting to do well.
Guess it really depends on individual whether worth it to clear it in advance or just take it in JC.

[lee_yl]

floppy\" post_id=\"1958314\" time=\"1578617276\" user_id=\"97579:

Furthermore, old +3 helps a wide range of students, up to 3 below COP, and they are not subjected to ballot once t-score plus 3 is more than COP. New system only helps those that meet COP and you are still subjected ballot to those that meets the same COP and HCL criteria (which is likely to be more than before).

TL;DR. It’s worth doing HCL in the old system if you are aiming for certain schools.

Haha, Nobody knows whether your children meet COP (Or sits on the COP then subjected to balloting) or not before the official results release day.

Prelims may be 4 AL1s but on actual day, 2 subjects could drop from low 90s to 89, that’s AL2 and kid ends up with AL6.

Am pretty sure 99% of the parents will have this 患得患失 feeling.

[phtthp]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958332\" time=\"1578622061\" user_id=\"2964:

In the old system, if you are a 23x (top 30%), and have a HCL merit, it allows you to do HCL in sec sch, and you only need to pass it at O, to skip Chinese in JC, so even if you are not aiming for any school, it helps too right?

Note

This year, in the most recent 2019 psle results,

some P6 students took HCL PSLE paper, scored 230 (+1), but

did not receive MOE Eligibility letter for HCL, because 230 happen to fall outside Top 30% and

the Secondary school also did not conduct entrance Chinese test in January, end up in a situation whereby these Sec 1 students are Not allowed to take HCL, Must wait until the end of 2020 Sec 1, look at Chinese results, look at overall Sec 1 EOY SA2 results, then re-assess whether student can take HCL in Sec 2, or not. These affected students are very disappointed, because it means that for entire year Sec 1, they missed the opportunity of learning HCL, although they did sit for PSLE HCL, on 2 Oct 2019 last year.


So if we ask,
is it worthwhile to take HCL in P6 Psle ? The answer is, worthwhile provided

- make sure can fall within Top 30% of the entire PSLE cohort (thousands of children) ,

And

- minimum, Must score at least a +2 (Merit) in your HCL, then Yes, worthwhile !

Once fall outside Top 30%, get a miserable pass (+1 ), MOE don't allow u to take Sec 1 HCL, because MOE don't give you that letter.


=========

above scenario, under the new AL score, not sure how it will impact the 2021 pioneer batch, in terms of

- falling into Top 10% psle cohort,

Or

- falling into Top 30 % cohort, but must score at least minimum +2, then can get MOE Eligibility letter (HCL)

[Nebbermind]

+1 doesn’t make you exceptionally good in MT

230, say bad not bad, say good not good enough.
Why not just take normal MT if getting this score? Die die must take HMT? Ego?

[zac's mum]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1958327\" time=\"1578620884\" user_id=\"2964:

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1958320\" time=\"1578619324\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1958320 time=1578619324 user_id=53606]

None of them are success stories. Unless Guangyang sec is your dream school.

The OLN one had 200 affiliation to SJC, scored 18+, if go to SJC, had to do NA, so she went to Yuying Express. Where is the safety net? For your interest, my colleague was from JS, went to ACS Barker, and ended up in CJ. Where is the safety net?

I recall last time primary schools used to have this thing called “value-addedness” (and I used to gripe to no one in particular that the correct English term should be “added value” instead) - why has MOE ceased measuring this? Anyone know?

That would be a helpful indicator for parents to choose a primary school right? Some people want to know the top value-add schools, like which schools actually can help my kid improve (vs a balloting-popular school that does not actually churn out good psle results for the bulk of the kids).