Secondary School History

[Zeal mummy]

Swc\" post_id=\"2045461\" time=\"1636377371\" user_id=\"178585:

Jworld\" post_id=\"2045459\" time=\"1636376910\" user_id=\"35780:

[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2045233 time=1636212968 user_id=58173]

I actually have the same question as well. As the kids take 3 humanities, I often wonder if doing badly in 1 of them (history) is okay? Any expert advice? Thanks.

I was told it's important for students to be able to answer the history exam type of questions because in Sec 3 and 4 they will be taking Social Studies which will have the similar type of questions. Need one humanity subject for O levels' L1R4 or L1R5. ie if the kid going to Poly or JC next time.

Yes the same skills set is required for both History and Social Studies. Hence, some people feel it is better to take combined SS/History instead of SS/Geog or SS/Lit.[/quote]That makes sense. Thanks for sharing! Just curious, is there a choice to do pure geog or lit or history?

[Zeal mummy]

Swc\" post_id=\"2045324\" time=\"1636279077\" user_id=\"178585:

Zeal mummy\" post_id=\"2045293\" time=\"1636261060\" user_id=\"58173:[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2045293 time=1636261060 user_id=58173]

Upper secondary History - content wise, it's new content. However, the skills required for Source Based Questions (SBQ) will be a built up from what has been taught in lower sec so it is necessary for the students to have a good grasp of the answering skills taught in lower secondary.

Thanks for the information, Swc. Is sec 2 history content the extension of sec 1’s work? How do one improve on SBQ?

Lower sec History is Singapore history. While it is connected, the focus of the content is different. So one does not need to be intimately familiar with sec 1 content to do well for sec 2 history per say.

As for SBQ skills, the most basic will be the ability to infer from the provided source the point that answers the question. But I am not sure how to strengthen inferencing skills other than the obvious one which is to read widely and do deep thinking when reading.[/quote]Thankfully. Good to know it’s not a built up of knowledge.

[Swc]

Zeal mummy\" post_id=\"2045469\" time=\"1636381759\" user_id=\"58173:[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2045469 time=1636381759 user_id=58173]

Swc\" post_id=\"2045461\" time=\"1636377371\" user_id=\"178585:

I was told it's important for students to be able to answer the history exam type of questions because in Sec 3 and 4 they will be taking Social Studies which will have the similar type of questions. Need one humanity subject for O levels' L1R4 or L1R5. ie if the kid going to Poly or JC next time.

Yes the same skills set is required for both History and Social Studies. Hence, some people feel it is better to take combined SS/History instead of SS/Geog or SS/Lit.

That makes sense. Thanks for sharing! Just curious, is there a choice to do pure geog or lit or history?[/quote]For O level students, as Social Studies is not a full subject, it has to be combined with either History, Geog or Lit. However, if the student takes 2 humanities, then s/he can take combined SS with History, Geo or Lit, and take Pure History, Geog or Lit as the 2nd humanity subject. However, the subject taken as a combined subject with SS cannot be taken as a pure for the 2nd humanity. So if the student chose combined SS/history, then s/he can only take pure Geog or pure Lit as the 2nd humanity subject.

For IP schools, different schools package SS with some other studies (eg Philosophy) differently and different schools have different names for that subject. Students can choose to take another 2 pure humanities subjects ie taking a total of 3 humanities subjects.

[sharonkhoo]

Swc\" post_id=\"2045461\" time=\"1636377371\" user_id=\"178585:

Yes the same skills set is required for both History and Social Studies. Hence, some people feel it is better to take combined SS/History instead of SS/Geog or SS/Lit.

Or some parents might say it's better to take SS/Geog or SS/Lit since the child can build up different skillsets! My younger daughter was in an IP school where SS was a single subject, and she had to choose 1 more humanities subject for upper sec - Hist, Geog or Lit. We left it to her to make the final decision, but we actually did advise that Lit would be a good choice because it was the most different from her other subjects (triple science). She was torn between the 3 (she liked all), but in the end took Lit.

[sharonkhoo]

Zeal mummy\" post_id=\"2045468\" time=\"1636381385\" user_id=\"58173:[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2045468 time=1636381385 user_id=58173]
Oh, thank you for sharing. My kiddo is in IP school, I think they don’t have social studies. (Could someone please confirm?) n Perhaps kiddo wants to do geography or literature. I just feel bad for history for being the sacrificial lamb.[/quote]

I'm sure that SS is in the curriculum somewhere, even if not by that actual name. It's an MOE requirement, I believe. By upper sec, students will have to start narrowing down subjects according to interests and abilities. Hopefully, some of the skillsets will have been learned, at least to some degree, by the time they finish lower sec. The good thing about the humanities subjects is that it's more possible to read up and gain that exposure even if not taking them formally, as compared to sciences which involve more technical knowledge and lab work.

[SG_KP1]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2045506\" time=\"1636416742\" user_id=\"28674:

Swc\" post_id=\"2045461\" time=\"1636377371\" user_id=\"178585:

Yes the same skills set is required for both History and Social Studies. Hence, some people feel it is better to take combined SS/History instead of SS/Geog or SS/Lit.

Or some parents might say it's better to take SS/Geog or SS/Lit since the child can build up different skillsets! My younger daughter was in an IP school where SS was a single subject, and she had to choose 1 more humanities subject for upper sec - Hist, Geog or Lit. We left it to her to make the final decision, but we actually did advise that Lit would be a good choice because it was the most different from her other subjects (triple science). She was torn between the 3 (she liked all), but in the end took Lit.

I agree with the part in bold, especially if the school is calculating GPA/MSG on L2R5 (or some variant of this where you don't need to put the lowest scoring subject in the calculation). I actually wonder whether all subjects or something like L2R5 in the GPA/MSG is better? One forces you to slog through it and learn whereas the other encourages you to take a risk and perhaps pursue something that you are not as comfortable with. Regardless, I do think school is the time to try and build up risk taking / doing things you are uncomfortable with trait in the kids, as it doesn't get any easier as the years go by. I guess the one caveat to the above is if you know you will take Science stream in JC you still need one subject on the other side and just sticking with one you like/are good at helps build this up. I guess Econ will be a default choice for many or perhaps a few can make use of the various H2 MT related/third language classes.

Triple Science and/or Math/computing are both fine, but in some ways I think the humanities are undervalued. Not necessarily for the subject specific content but for the underlying skills they are trying to develop; critical thinking, writing and justifying your thoughts, considering other points of view, etc.

[sharonkhoo]

SG_KP1\" post_id=\"2045508\" time=\"1636417895\" user_id=\"188234:

Triple Science and/or Math/computing are both fine, but in some ways I think the humanities are undervalued. Not necessarily for the subject specific content but for the underlying skills they are trying to develop; critical thinking, writing and justifying your thoughts, considering other points of view, etc.

This has been the case in Singapore for a long time! In my day (sec school in mid-70s), my school put the top 80 students from Sec 2 into Science stream, and the rest into Arts. Science stream students took Geog and Lit; in Arts stream all took Lit, and some did History and some Geog (can't remember how they split them up). Choice wasn't an issue - every class was assigned a combination. In JC, better students automatically went to Science; those of us who could have done Science but chose to go to Arts received comments along the lines of \"didn't you do well enough to get into Science?\", \"you can't a get a job with an Arts degree\" and \"only dumb people take Arts\" (this last one was from an outspoken uncle!).

[Swc]

slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2045511\" time=\"1636418443\" user_id=\"28674:

SG_KP1\" post_id=\"2045508\" time=\"1636417895\" user_id=\"188234:

Triple Science and/or Math/computing are both fine, but in some ways I think the humanities are undervalued. Not necessarily for the subject specific content but for the underlying skills they are trying to develop; critical thinking, writing and justifying your thoughts, considering other points of view, etc.

This has been the case in Singapore for a long time! In my day (sec school in mid-70s), my school put the top 80 students from Sec 2 into Science stream, and the rest into Arts. Science stream students took Geog and Lit; in Arts stream all took Lit, and some did History and some Geog (can't remember how they split them up). Choice wasn't an issue - every class was assigned a combination. In JC, better students automatically went to Science; those of us who could have done Science but chose to go to Arts received comments along the lines of \"didn't you do well enough to get into Science?\", \"you can't a get a job with an Arts degree\" and \"only dumb people take Arts\" (this last one was from an outspoken uncle!).

My DD is very humanities skewed. She is taking 3 humanities subjects + 2 Sciences in upper secondary. I know she plans to go into the Arts stream in JC since she loves humanities but I certainly have the \"you can't find a job after you graduate\" worry in me!!!

In addition, Lit is one of those subjects that even though she absolutely loves it and enjoys it very much, her marks fluctuates a lot - from high 80s all the way to low 60s. Again, I am worried about her choosing to take Lit as a H2 subject when she goes JC as I will have no certainty that she will be able to do well in Lit for her A level.

It is so hard to be a parent - I struggle about whether I should support her interest or make her do something that is more practical.

[sharonkhoo]

Swc\" post_id=\"2045513\" time=\"1636419164\" user_id=\"178585:

My DD is very humanities skewed. She is taking 3 humanities subjects + 2 Sciences in upper secondary. I know she plans to go into the Arts stream in JC since she loves humanities but I certainly have the \"you can't find a job after you graduate\" worry in me!!!

In addition, Lit is one of those subjects that even though she absolutely loves it and enjoys it very much, her marks fluctuates a lot - from high 80s all the way to low 60s. Again, I am worried about her choosing to take Lit as a H2 subject when she goes JC as I will have no certainty that she will be able to do well in Lit for her A level.

It is so hard to be a parent - I struggle about whether I should support her interest or make her do something that is more practical.

Yes, it's hard. The fluctuating marks are a worry, but most JCs do an excellent job at helping students do well in exams. As long as she is willing to work hard and take advice, she has a good chance of doing well. If she sometimes gets good marks, it's a indication that doing well is within her reach.

As for getting a job, I can only say that the last 40 years in Singapore, since the humanities scheme was started, does seem to have helped people recognise that having an Arts degree doesn't condemn you to unemployment! As in many spheres, a lot depends on the individual's qualities, not the degree. My friend's daughter just graduated with a degree in History, and is working in cybersecurity! Not sure exactly what she's doing, and whether it's very tech. Another friend's daughter did a double major in Lit and Computer Programming and got a job in a big-name US company. There's lots of jobs where the content of the degree is unimportant - many jobs in business, HR, Comms, IT-related which need the \"human\" element, etc. The pay may not be as great, especially in the early years, but there are science grads who don't earn a lot either. It's not all doom and gloom for Arts grads.

At the end of the day, it's a person's interests that keep her going, not the degree. If I had done Science at JC which everyone assumed I should, I would probably have done worse, and been much more miserable. If I had then gone on to study some science thing at university, it would have been worse! I'm not a good example of someone who \"did well\" as I chose to live overseas with my husband and children for most of my \"productive years\", and was mostly a SAHM, but I'm sure that I could have had a decent job in an area of interest if I'd stayed in Singapore - not top-level salary type, but good enough.

[MrsKiasu]

For my case, totally unrelated field. But probably since I couldn’t remember much anyway, I never find switching is a pain.