Mid-year exams to be scrapped in all primary, secondary schools by 2023

[lee_yl]

Terrydad\" post_id=\"2061971\" time=\"1647660431\" user_id=\"193857:

The distaste that a few parents have shown towards ITE reminds me of the movie I Not Stupid. It was seminal when it came out, sparking a huge conversation among parents, teachers and MPs about our streaming system. After Parliamentary debate, it led to govt scrapping streaming eventually. I Not Stupid is even part of global curriculums in top US universities discussing education culture.

For me, the scene that most affects me is when Kok Pin is thinking of suicide after he did badly for his exams and has to go EM3. His mother is well meaning but is an intensely stressed and status conscious person.

https://stomp.straitstimes.com/singapore-seen/courts-crime/death-of-boy-11-who-fell-17-floors-after-failing-his-exams-for-the-first

It's rare that a local movie reflects and has an impact on real life.

RI alumni father who invested in tuition at P5 for his child to get into an IP school. If ITE is a considered option for local education, then why bother going to IP? Talk is cheap but actions tell the full story.

The truth is very simple, people go to ITE out of no choice. It is definitely not the end of the world, there’s a pathway to success after that but it will be a much longer route requiring more effort and time. There is no need to sugar coat the harsh reality.

[Imp75]

I think the bottom line is: know your child. If your child is well and academically inclined, by all means, aim where appropriate. If kids are lesser in academics, then develop other skillsets or start paying attention where the kid is good at. If my kids can draw as well or artistic enough or simply love cooking or baking, an ID or animation artist , chef Baker sounds good to me…not everyone needs to go the acad path to go university. Its all about skillset.

[sharonkhoo]

Imp75\" post_id=\"2061983\" time=\"1647664890\" user_id=\"2358:

I think the bottom line is: know your child. If your child is well and academically inclined, by all means, aim where appropriate. If kids are lesser in academics, then develop other skillsets or start paying attention where the kid is good at. If my kids can draw as well or artistic enough or simply love cooking or baking, an ID or animation artist , chef Baker sounds good to me...not everyone needs to go the acad path to go university. Its all about skillset.

I so agree. In my view, the important thing is not to get worked up when kids don't do as well as parents might hope. We would be negligent parents if we didn't encourage our kids to do as well as they can (but while leading a balanced life, not a totally exam-focused life). The issue is whether we transmit the message to our kids that \"you are an unsuccessful person if you don't get to university/x course\", or we transmit the message \"as long as you've done your best, you are not a failure; let's see what you can be good at\". Parents who are very focused on limited indicators of \"success\" put a lot of pressure on their kids if those kids are not able to meet those targets.

[sharonkhoo]

Terrydad\" post_id=\"2061968\" time=\"1647659301\" user_id=\"193857:

So I just want to allay some fears that parents may have.

CCS & MOE are reviewing the possibility of increasing the Uni admissions cohort from 40% to 50%. That means HALF of all kids every year may go to Uni. This is in news today.

Good to provide lots of options, but I think the graduates will have to be realistic. Not all graduates are going to be able to get the \"graduate\" jobs of the past. Some of them are going to be doing the same level jobs that used to be done by O and A level holders, just with fancier titles.

[lee_yl]

Terrydad\" post_id=\"2061978\" time=\"1647662692\" user_id=\"193857:

I see better where you are coming from, and it's good to have a realistic, brutal point of view as a counterpoint as well.

But you know, I'm not as rich as my non-grad property agent, who can make 30k commission in one transaction. My ID is also a non-grad and owns his own business with an office near town. My non-grad NS friend has an inflation adjusted pension from the army after he retires while I only have CPF.

Having said that, we did not get enrichment or tuition classes from birth to age 11. We also have younger children who may not do as well, or have other issues (autism, spectrum issues that cannot be controlled). What I'm trying to say is its impossible to predict what child you will have. We know brilliant parents who have children with learning difficulties. Well educated the parents may be, but even they don't want to live in a Singapore where the people despise a slow child, because that's the Singapore their child will have to live in.

As a child is a child we are not going to put our expectations on them because they have a path towards a happy life no matter what academic outcome. We dont want them to think of \"disappointing your parents\" or \"pedigree\" or anything absurd and artificial like that. Pedigree is for dogs and horses, not children.

Did your property agent friend tell you that during 2020 COVID period/lockdowns, many agents could not close a single deal for months and had to apply for govt’s aid? Or did your NS friend share the fear about leaving at 45 or 50 to start a new career? And by the way government pensions are not inflation-linked. Again, nobody is saying only graduates can survive in this world.

It’s your personal choice not to send your kid to tuition from birth to 11yo. Just curious, why the sudden change of mind at 11? Is it because you realized PSLE is important and coming soon?

Helping our children maximizing their potential is NOT the same as forcing the kids to meet our expectations. There are families whereby all 3 generations are lawyers (or doctors), cousin is high court judge etc. so the parents hope their offspring can be lawyers even if their kids have no interest of becoming one.

For me (and many parents here), perhaps we hope to see our children do well and that their results can enable them to pick a course of their choice in the university (accountancy, social science, can be anything).

[lee_yl]

Terrydad\" post_id=\"2062008\" time=\"1647681211\" user_id=\"193857:

Madam, these difficulties are faced by everyone, including graduates.

I'm from a middle class family, just like you. I wish to let people know their children can go to a normal primary school (not top), have a mostly tuition free childhood, have just a few months of tuition in one weak subject if the child feels the need, and still have good results at PSLE. Saving money by not having tuition means you have more options for your own retirement or be able to spend on their Uni.

I refer to u/slmkhoo's point about not stressing your child out, and accepting their strengths and weaknesses. An ITE graduate deserves respect too.

Your earlier post had an envious tone of how your non-grad friend could earn $30K from one transaction, then now say everyone has difficulties. At least, my hub didn’t suffer few months no income and need to apply for govt’s aid during Covid.

Your child maybe exceptional, not every child with last-minute tuition can get good PSLE results. There are cases where children had tuition non-stop since young but results are still not ideal. Don’t make the exceptional case of your child sound like the norm.

In my post I already said about parents will try to help their children to maximize their potential and giving them options in life, that is already accepting their strengths and weaknesses.

I recognize the road for ITE students is tough, they have to work very hard, and this is the heartfelt respect for them. I am a straight shooter and don’t try to paint a rosy picture for the ITE graduates.

[Liew Nga Wing]

Imp75\" post_id=\"2062021\" time=\"1647696930\" user_id=\"2358:

Call me old school but I kinda agree with lee_yl. If my kids hv other talents, I would send them to specialised schools rather than ITE.....somehow I still associate the school with more \"problematic\" kids.....the ITE brand name has not improved over the years other than swanky campuses....

Maybe we look at it from another angle, if your kids are not talented in their academic and don't have any other skillsets but you don't have enough money for them to study university in overseas. Would you be happy to know other associate them as more \"problemic\" kids because they continue their study in ITE? If not, then why you are still assocaite other's kids as more \"problems kids\"? In Chinese, we say \"己所不欲，勿施于人\".

Has ITE brand name not improved over the years?
I don't know but many of my colleagues are from ITE and they are all splendid staff and earning a good salary.

[lee_yl]

Liew Nga Wing\" post_id=\"2062027\" time=\"1647704459\" user_id=\"195250:[quote=\"Liew Nga Wing\" post_id=2062027 time=1647704459 user_id=195250]
Maybe we look at it from another angle, if your kids are not talented in their academic and don't have any other skillsets but you don't have enough money for them to study university in overseas. Would you be happy to know other associate them as more \"problemic\" kids because they continue their study in ITE? If not, then why you are still assocaite other's kids as more \"problems kids\"? In Chinese, we say \"己所不欲，勿施于人\".

Has ITE brand name not improved over the years?
I don't know but many of my colleagues are from ITE and they are all splendid staff and earning a good salary.[/quote]

Maybe Imp is referring to ITE students at 17-18yo and you are talking about colleagues (of ITE background) who are already mature adults/family men etc. Two different perspectives of the ITE folks.

The question we have to ask ourselves honestly, if given a choice and there are other options available, would we let our children go ITE. I won’t because I know it will be a very tough and much longer journey ahead for them.

Btw, Imp75 is only sharing her own opinion, there is no need to be judgmental about it.

[lassie girl]

Would like to add on that paid tuition is the same as un-paid tuition (eg parental guidance). Have seen parents who proudly declare their kids as tuition free when they are the ones who put in time and effort to guide them - some making their kids spend increasing no of hours on exam preparations compared to the kids who went for the paid ones. In reality, there is no difference between internal or external tuitions as the child is still guided by someone other than the school.


Do hope this forum continues to be a place where parents can share positive and uplifting experiences, so as to lift other parents’ experiences as well. Parenting is not easy, and if more of these young adults who are sitting on the fence about having kids come into ks forum and read about all these negative experiences, more of them will decide not to have kids. It’s not that we sugar coat everything, but we make the arduous parenting role more palatable. This way we can all continue to grow as parents in a positive manner, and this will in turn create a positive vibe in our families for our children’s growing environment.

I do agree we need to be kinder with our words and not make comments or judgements about other schools that we do not have personal experiences about. Not every child is brilliant or privileged enough to go to the schools that everyone wants to go to, and there will be someone who will go to the schools that nobody plans to go to at the start of their learning journey, but let’s not condemn these children who went there, whether by chance or by choice.

[sharonkhoo]

Imp75\" post_id=\"2062021\" time=\"1647696930\" user_id=\"2358:

Call me old school but I kinda agree with lee_yl. If my kids hv other talents, I would send them to specialised schools rather than ITE.....somehow I still associate the school with more \"problematic\" kids.....the ITE brand name has not improved over the years other than swanky campuses....

I only have a sample of 1, and I don't know her well enough yet to ask more about her background and ITE. I have a new girl (22 yo, so very young by my standards!) who is working alongside me now - she was from NA, ITE, Poly. I actually find her very quick to learn and skilled in her area (digital comms), and a pleasant girl to work with. Since we've only been in the office once a week, and not always every week, I haven't been able to ask about her backstory yet. Maybe she's a rare exception, but it does seem that the ITE/Poly route can equip people with decent skills. Maybe some of us, like me, just haven't had enough contact with ITE students in recent times.