Can through-train school work in kiasu Singapore?
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zac's mum\" post_id=\"2100918\" time=\"1678713680\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2100918 time=1678713680 user_id=53606]
They will still need school based sorting otherwise. This concept thru train pri to sch, allows students like those in schs w affiliation take PSLE but not depend on it for sch selection. Reduce the stress level. This is only if parents buy in to this option. If choosing this option means giving up on IP option, thru train sec to jc, half the population or more would not go for it, i believe.
But like this the kids still waste 2 years studying (or pretending to study) for PSLE. Is that true education?[/quote]
Is this thru train concept applicable for pri to JC? -
00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2100922\" time=\"1678715322\" user_id=\"143605:
You are absolutely right, 00skyblue00
They will still need school based sorting otherwise. This concept thru train pri to sch, allows students like those in schs w affiliation take PSLE but not depend on it for sch selection. Reduce the stress level. This is only if parents buy in to this option. If choosing this option means giving up on IP option, thru train sec to jc, half the population or more would not go for it, i believe.
Is this thru train concept applicable for pri to JC?
Even students from good Affliated primary schools like NYPS may not want to go NYGH, because some NYPS girls prefer to go RGS or to NUS High or to ACSI.
OR
SCGS girls primary may not want to go to Affliated SCGS Secondary. Some SCGS girls may prefer to go RGS / NYGH.
Just like some ACSP boys not keen to go ACS Barker nor to ACSI. They prefer to go RI or NUS High, instead.
So, thru train from affliated primary to Sec : won't work. They rather take PSLE and enter by AL score -
zac's mum\" post_id=\"2100918\" time=\"1678713680\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2100918 time=1678713680 user_id=53606]
What is true education?
But like this the kids still waste 2 years studying (or pretending to study) for PSLE. Is that true education?[/quote]
By right, assessment is to provide students with various opportunities to demonstrate their degree of achievement in relation to the given standard. Why put on hold everything to study for psle, if sch has been selected already. The stake shld be lowered. It can just be a check point for progression to sec sch.
Isn't this why parents find all means to get their kids into pri schools with affiliation? Less stressful knowing there is a buffer but kids still take psle. Or maybe the name of psle can change to \"P6 proficiency\" etc. To remove the high stake label. -
PSLE at 12yo test what?
Whether the tiger mum is fierce enough, or does the family have the privilege of having a SAHM, or can the family afford to provide good/quality tuition? When 12yo achieves good PSLE results, half the credit goes to the mother.
Donkey years ago, Gan Eng Seng secondary was a highly sought after school. But as the quality of the students intake changes, the reputation/popularity changes too. Likewise, the same thing could well
happen to Raffles one day if kids from all over Singapore are randomly distributed there w/o having to take PSLE. Then, there will be no sec school that is being highly sought after. All school teachers are to rotate to different schools every 5 years to ensure that good teachers are evenly spread around too. SCGS, St Nic etc, to take in boys too just like the ACS P at Tengah. No such thing as “Exclusive”.
End of 6yrs, w/o having to take PSLE, children will be randomly distributed to a secondary school within 5km of one’s house. Every one takes O level. At age 16, all should be matured enough to take a national exam. Then from there, sort to JC/Poly.
Earlier Minister said through train can’t work because every one wants to aim for Raffles (example). But when Raffles is not the Raffles we know anymore and any ah lian ah beng kid can get in via balloting, parents probably would wish their kids could get allocated to any nearest sec sch. -
lee_yl\" post_id=\"2100929\" time=\"1678717935\" user_id=\"17023:
I think this thru -train for primary schools to sec 4 should not and would not touch the IP schools. They are another type of thru-train that can co-exist with the pri-sec one so RI is not a good example.
PSLE at 12yo test what?
Whether the tiger mum is fierce enough, or does the family have the privilege of having a SAHM, or can the family afford to provide good/quality tuition? When 12yo achieves good PSLE results, half the credit goes to the mother.
Donkey years ago, Gan Eng Seng secondary was a highly sought after school. But as the quality of the students intake changes, the reputation/popularity changes too. Likewise, the same thing could well
happen to Raffles one day if kids from all over Singapore are randomly distributed there w/o having to take PSLE. Then, there will be no sec school that is being highly sought after. All school teachers are to rotate to different schools every 5 years to ensure that good teachers are evenly spread around too. SCGS, St Nic etc, to take in boys too just like the ACS P at Tengah. No such thing as “Exclusive”.
End of 6yrs, w/o having to take PSLE, children will be randomly distributed to a secondary school within 5km of one’s house. Every one takes O level. At age 16, all should be matured enough to take a national exam. Then from there, sort to JC/Poly.
Earlier Minister said through train can’t work because every one wants to aim for Raffles (example). But when Raffles is not the Raffles we know anymore and any ah lian ah beng kid can get in via balloting, parents probably would wish their kids could get allocated to any nearest sec sch.
Also, I believe we have different types of 12yos, not all are managed by tiger parents. Some can enjoy doing exams more than others.
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sushi88\" post_id=\"2100933\" time=\"1678719302\" user_id=\"100857:
Minister Chan himself took the O level. If one is capable, enjoys studying/taking exams more than others, he/she will still be Minister caliber.
I think this thru -train for primary schools to sec 4 should not and would not touch the IP schools. They are another type of thru-train that can co-exist with the pri-sec one so RI is not a good example.
Also, I believe we have different types of 12yos, not all are managed by tiger parents. Some can enjoy doing exams more than others.
I feel that my stress started because of this IP thing. I want to push my kids into IP so I can shake leg and escape the o level. Therefore all the crazy tuition came in.
If you want to keep RI, then kids must take PSLE.
I am very sure one group of parents will Pui at my earlier proposal that kids don’t take PSLE and be randomly distributed to any sec sch within 5km of their house. This group of parents probably are upper middle class, whose children are high ability learners. Randomly sort their kids to any sec sch and mix with Ah lian Ah beng?? These parents may worry their kids will be dumbed down? -
If thru train is limited to non popular schools only then i think it may no be worth the risk because non popular school COP are generally lower which most children will still get in through psle. so whats the benefit?
My other concern is if student doesn’t have psle or dsa to look forward they may no work hard to improve their weaker subject such as mother tongue.
if they wait till sec 2 and 3 to catchup they will struggle -
Parents, did u realize we actually do already have a “school” that is a “through-train” system? This “school” allows one to enter at P1 based on alumni or distance just like any other primary schools. This “school” allows one to stay in the “school” from P1 to S4, as long as u want to stay on (covers most of the AL ranges for IP, G1,2,3). Their students are awarded 2 (loyalty) bonus points if they choose to stay on to do A levels in JC, and there is even an IB option, if one can make it. The ones who are identified as gifted or higher ability goes on to a class appropriate for their abilities at P6, S2 or S4, while the rest of the cohort will now follow the new “subject based banding” arrangement. Recently this “school” has even decided to move to a new neighborhood in the west, admitting girls as well and alas! they are also going to have a special education segment that caters to the ones who needs it. Isn’t this becoming the through-train that one is looking for - where every boy (and hopefully girls too in the future) has a place from P1 to S4?
I am sure everyone knows which “school” I am talking about. I have to state categorically that I have no relationship with it in any way, but I do have friends who have children in the “school”. I recall how different parents from the same school react differently come psle year - one friend with a child in it was so nervous because they didn’t want the child to end up in the campus which admits students with “varying abilities” vs the one which is “better”. Another friend was super cool during psle because the parent knows the child will stay on this “through-train” whichever way psle results turn out to be. As u can see from this example - both are in the same “through-train school” but different parents feel the pressure differently.
The idea of sorting students is necessary because we want them to learn at a pace that is appropriate for them. Sort them early we end up with super-charged parents who are eager to give their children a good head-start and sometimes it becomes a game of who has more resources to get them there first. Sort them late and we end up with kids who might miss the chance to be selected to be groomed appropriately, or the kid loses interest. If only we put our child’s learning experience first, then we won’t worry about the labels that come with the sorting. Exams need not be stressful if parents take each exam as an opportunity for your child to be tested on what they have learned, to find out what are their strengths and weaknesses, and to encourage the child to try their best if they so decide to set a target they want to achieve.
The problem comes only when there is a certain expectation for the child to be at a certain level of competency, and anything “lesser” is labeled as negative, with the misguided belief that there is only one pathway to “success”. Teaching our children to handle exams with the correct mindset also helps to build resilience, and allowing them to make mistakes when they are younger is always better than later in life. We have to remind ourselves that removing stones in their path won’t make their paths smoother. Let’s learn to shake off the labels in our mind, and allow our children to blossom when they are ready.
:siam: -
Were those boys in this "school" still had to achieve a AL 22 or below (affiliated) in PSLE in order to enrol into the Express stream of the same school? It is not a 100% "through train" for all boys in this school.
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A Chinese documentary from 5 yrs ago, to find out why Spore education is successful. Narrative in mandarin, but most part of it are interviews in English- they are Singaporean after all.
https://youtu.be/uojeFKQhw7Y
Our education system has good track records. The pro know what they are doing. Their policies are likely based on statistics and careful trials. Nothing is perfect but our system is constantly evolving to bridge the gap.
In this video the minister talks about different learning abilities, and the elaborate system we have in place to cater for diverse learning ability. In Other countries all students go through same education system. Any student cannot adapt will drop out of their system. We Spore parent want to see our NT students to drop out of the system altogether , if not for the streaming according to learning ability we have now? Parents with children with high academic ability should not think, heng ah, not my problem. Your child may go good school, get scholarship. But your child may live in a country where there are high employment /social problem from the issue created by high school drop out rate. These families can choose to immigrate. But our education system takes into considerations a much wider range of issues.
A top school IP student’s parent once told me she is worried about her now Sec 3 child when A level comes. Because the last major exam for the child will be 6 year ago during PSLE. So through train may not be a blessing many parent thinks. It may be better face the music and intervene earlier, then few more years later. Placement exam may actually be beneficial to our child - be placed earlier into a suitable learning pace/style environment that bring the better out of our child.
Our system doesn’t give up on any students
and allows for late bloomers too. We heard ITE to Poly to Uni. So the saying “change the definition of success” is not empty slogan. I think it can be further tweaked: “success according to each student’s talent, ability and pace, not what others think they should be”. Our child may then be more confident and happier. And for the sake of emphasising the importance of these points in some cases - recall the unfortunate news we heard recently about students.
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