Comparing Science Enrichment Programs

[san20sg]

Can I clarify a few concerns?

1. I have heard from a couple of friends that their notes and responses are usually quite long-winded and this may cause the kids to have problems to complete the paper on time - is that true? This will be quite a concern for me as my son has dyspraxia like issues and already having problems completing his papers on time.

2. The class size is abit large (12 to 14) - how do they ensure attention to kids who are not so independent and are not so focused in class, aka my child who can often daydream. Girls are usually more disciplined and and compliant but boys aren’t so guai sighs!!

[mamajs]

Hi, I recently called The Pique Lab to enquire about their P4 Regular class (GAP) and was told that for all new P4 students, it is mandatory for the child to sign up for the upcoming P4 CCI too. I’m baffled as I thought there would be an overlap in curriculum between the two courses especially for those topics to be taught in 2H2022. Has any other parents here encountered a similar situation?

[tinker_bell]

mamajs\" post_id=\"2068843\" time=\"1653627107\" user_id=\"112546:

Hi, I recently called The Pique Lab to enquire about their P4 Regular class (GAP) and was told that for all new P4 students, it is mandatory for the child to sign up for the upcoming P4 CCI too. I'm baffled as I thought there would be an overlap in curriculum between the two courses especially for those topics to be taught in 2H2022. Has any other parents here encountered a similar situation?

Pique lab's enrollment process seems complicated.

Can I check if how does the P4 CCI and P4 GAP work? Grateful for your help!

[Blokus]

I just withdrew my daughter from pique LAb. Here is my input to warn the public of their marketing gimmicks.


Pique lab requires new students to attend their compulsory ‘CCI’ course so that these new students can be leveled up with the existing students- which made perfect sense to me (since different schools teach different topics at different times and the studio has its own acronyms for it students). This cci course is not included in their termly fee- you need to pay additional for it and it’s compulsory.

What surprised me was even existing students are required to attend this CCI course in June. Again, it’s not Part of the Termly fees. We need to Pay additional for it- on top of the termly fees and it’s 3 hours for 4 days.

My daughter attended the lessons and didn’t feel that she had learnt anything new from her regular classes from pique lab. Generally a recap. Moreover, she felt she was being slowed down because there were new students there who needed to catch up. It was a complete waste of her time and our money. In addition, while forcing all their existing students to join this additional CCI workshop in June , the regular classes are still ongoing. Which means the poor kid has to attend 3 hours of their compulsory CCI class and then attend their regular 2 hour class in that given day.

Their rule is, this CCI is compulsory and if you don’t attend you are not allowed to join their tuition center. Which is why we withdrew or rather they forced us out of pique lab just because we saw no need to attend this additional workshop.

Most tuition centers give their existing students an option to attend their holiday workshops. But pique lab forces all its students to pay additional fee and attend their holiday class.

While I admit that pique lab teachers are engaging, but there are also other centers with equally or even more engaging teachers. My elder kid attended learning lab, while my younger kid attended pique lab and I’ve a full comparison of the two centers. My recommendation is Learning lab. Pique lab merely reprints all the past school papers and have their students to practise those same papers we get to print ourselves. They do not set their own worksheets. Even their so called test papers are just mere compilations of questions set by other schools.

Learning lab has clearer, uncluttered notes and they set their own questions that require the students to think.

Hope this helps.

[Blokus]

mamajs\" post_id=\"2068843\" time=\"1653627107\" user_id=\"112546:

Hi, I recently called The Pique Lab to enquire about their P4 Regular class (GAP) and was told that for all new P4 students, it is mandatory for the child to sign up for the upcoming P4 CCI too. I'm baffled as I thought there would be an overlap in curriculum between the two courses especially for those topics to be taught in 2H2022. Has any other parents here encountered a similar situation?

Yes, you guessed correctly there is an overlap. But all their students are still required to sit through it all. If you don’t, they ask you to leave the center.

[cindycsm]

Agreed. And no experiments take place to show the students. Too much theory.

[Blokus]

Yes, it’s too theory. Pique Lab is only good in training the kids to tackle common science questions set by schools. However, that’s as far as they will go. Upper primary students are expected to think out of the box- this is evident in the ‘unseen’ questions in the yearly psle papers. Pique lab doesn’t train the kids to think beyond the structured questions and answers.

[cindycsm]

I withdrew my child after 1 month as he finds he is not learning much and he said can google answer so easily.

[Nasi Lemak]

cindycsm\" post_id=\"2070556\" time=\"1655282960\" user_id=\"67561:

I withdrew my child after 1 month as he finds he is not learning much and he said can google answer so easily.

Did your child join other centre?

[Nasi Lemak]

Blokus\" post_id=\"2070492\" time=\"1655203049\" user_id=\"68342:

I just withdrew my daughter from pique LAb. Here is my input to warn the public of their marketing gimmicks.

Pique lab requires new students to attend their compulsory ‘CCI’ course so that these new students can be leveled up with the existing students- which made perfect sense to me (since different schools teach different topics at different times and the studio has its own acronyms for it students). This cci course is not included in their termly fee- you need to pay additional for it and it’s compulsory.

What surprised me was even existing students are required to attend this CCI course in June. Again, it’s not Part of the Termly fees. We need to Pay additional for it- on top of the termly fees and it’s 3 hours for 4 days.

My daughter attended the lessons and didn’t feel that she had learnt anything new from her regular classes from pique lab. Generally a recap. Moreover, she felt she was being slowed down because there were new students there who needed to catch up. It was a complete waste of her time and our money. In addition, while forcing all their existing students to join this additional CCI workshop in June , the regular classes are still ongoing. Which means the poor kid has to attend 3 hours of their compulsory CCI class and then attend their regular 2 hour class in that given day.

Their rule is, this CCI is compulsory and if you don’t attend you are not allowed to join their tuition center. Which is why we withdrew or rather they forced us out of pique lab just because we saw no need to attend this additional workshop.

Most tuition centers give their existing students an option to attend their holiday workshops. But pique lab forces all its students to pay additional fee and attend their holiday class.

While I admit that pique lab teachers are engaging, but there are also other centers with equally or even more engaging teachers. My elder kid attended learning lab, while my younger kid attended pique lab and I’ve a full comparison of the two centers. My recommendation is Learning lab. Pique lab merely reprints all the past school papers and have their students to practise those same papers we get to print ourselves. *They do not set their own worksheets*. Even their so called test papers are just mere compilations of questions set by other schools.

Learning lab has clearer, uncluttered notes and they set their own questions that require the students to think.

Hope this helps.

We just renewed for term 3. My girl did not attend additional classes in June.