Hwa Chong Institution (High School)

[simplycho]

thanks all for the info


any idea if there are criteria for taking Computing as a regular subject? Does the child have to be in CTP to read Computing? (i know being in CTP requires Computing, so wondering if can read Computing without being in CTP)

also, any parent can share what they learn in Y3/4 for Computing?

[SG_KP1]

Kids should be able to take Computing as a subject outside of the CTP. Look for the Additional Subjects section and there should be some information on Computing.

[Mewowo]

Hi, would just like to check if a child weak in Chinese (oral ok but not good in Compo/Compre) will be handle the higher Chinese requirement in HCI? The only compulsory Chinese subject they study in S1 is higher Chinese correct? There is no 普华 in S1. Correct me if wrong. My boy has a CO in HCI but just wondering if the school is suitable for him since Chinese is his worst subject. Thanks

[simplycho]

Mewowo\" post_id=\"2118576\" time=\"1694074474\" user_id=\"54276:

Hi, would just like to check if a child weak in Chinese (oral ok but not good in Compo/Compre) will be handle the higher Chinese requirement in HCI? The only compulsory Chinese subject they study in S1 is higher Chinese correct? There is no 普华 in S1. Correct me if wrong. My boy has a CO in HCI but just wondering if the school is suitable for him since Chinese is his worst subject. Thanks

Would be quite a struggle.. personally I feel HCL is an important subject for HCI
It’s not just about writing style, the thoughts have to mature as well. For e.g. in sec 1 they had an essay to write about how Covid affected travel

[mystique_j]

Hi, anyone mind sharing this year’s S2 textbook list? I would like to know specifically for history, what are they going to be learning, considering they completed 3 out 5 chapters of the S2 textbook in S1. So, only left with 2 chapters of the S2 textbook. Then what else is there for S2?

For Math and Science, I think there’s no more textbooks to buy since they already bought all the books in S1.

[mystique_j]

Mewowo\" post_id=\"2118576\" time=\"1694074474\" user_id=\"54276:

Hi, would just like to check if a child weak in Chinese (oral ok but not good in Compo/Compre) will be handle the higher Chinese requirement in HCI? The only compulsory Chinese subject they study in S1 is higher Chinese correct? There is no 普华 in S1. Correct me if wrong. My boy has a CO in HCI but just wondering if the school is suitable for him since Chinese is his worst subject. Thanks

Yes, at HCI, they only take HCL and the requirements is indeed quite high. I was told they need to have a B4 to skip taking Chinese in JC, not the usual pass only that some other schools require.
But what the school VP said before, \"If you child is weak in Chinese, then come to HCI. As long as they don't HATE Chinese\" if i remember correctly...
They have another \"subject\" under HCL called Appreciation for Chinese Culture (ACC), where they need to do ALOT of group work to help them appreciate the culture and language. I personally feel there's a lot of opportunities to learn and appreciate Chinese in school but it really depends on the child, if they are receptive to learning it. My son is in Y1, a true banana that did well for Chinese in primary because of tuition. At the moment, I still don't see a burning passion for the language.. lol. But I have a friend whose son is now reading Chinese novels. So it really depends..

But I think more importantly, you need to know if your child is suited for IP in general. They are expected to be independent, ask qns, do their work regularly, seek help when needed.. so there's a lot of self-discipline required to thrive in IP. They need to balance between CCA, project work, studies, school work, etc. Help is available for them in school because teachers are always there to help but provided they seek for help. The pace is really quite fast and for some subjects, they need to even learn S2 topics/concepts in S1. Despite that, I feel the boys still enjoy school life and their friendships.

[phtthp]

Mewowo\" post_id=\"2118576\" time=\"1694074474\" user_id=\"54276:

Hi, would just like to check if a child weak in Chinese (oral ok but not good in Compo/Compre) will be handle the higher Chinese requirement in HCI? The only compulsory Chinese subject they study in S1 is higher Chinese correct? There is no 普华 in S1. Correct me if wrong. My boy has a CO in HCI but just wondering if the school is suitable for him since Chinese is his worst subject. Thanks

Mewowo,

Did u read 2023 JC1 Hwa Chong requirements, for Chinese ?
Can refer to that.

Because

1)
All Year 4 (Hwa Chong boys + Nanyang Girls High) students (pupils) :-

if failed to acquire a minimum score B4 in your Higher Chinese ( O level),

Example

say,
If students scored a (C5, C6 or D7) in their O-level Higher Chinese,
then,

they will still have to continue study H1 Chinese subject, inside Hwa Chong JC (Year 5).


2) as Hwa Chong Is an IP Secondary school, there Is No pu-hua (Standard Chinese), for students.


3)
There is a \"safety net\", inside Hwa Chong.

For end of Sec 2 students,
they can exit out of the IP programme,
to prepare for O-level starting from Sec 3 onwards, if they don't do well in IP, after trying out for initial two years.

[Mewowo]

Thanks all for the advice. My boy really likes HCI except for the HCL part. Yes I am also aware of the B4 requirement for JC. In fact, when we visited the open house this year, we specifically asked a teacher there about my son being weak in Chinese and should he even apply DSA in it. He encouraged us to do so as not everyone is strong in HCL there. Of course, I am not sure if it’s true lol. As for IP learning, I do not doubt my boy’s ability as he is an independent learner and is excited about advanced curriculum in all other academic subjects except Chinese lol. We do have another offer in another IP school that is more English oriented but further however me and husband do like the Chinese culture and believe students from HCI will be more well rounded.

Oh well, I prob just present the facts to my son and let him decide.

[SG_KP1]

Mewowo\" post_id=\"2118765\" time=\"1694246890\" user_id=\"54276:

Thanks all for the advice. My boy really likes HCI except for the HCL part. Yes I am also aware of the B4 requirement for JC. In fact, when we visited the open house this year, we specifically asked a teacher there about my son being weak in Chinese and should he even apply DSA in it. He encouraged us to do so as not everyone is strong in HCL there. Of course, I am not sure if it’s true lol. As for IP learning, I do not doubt my boy’s ability as he is an independent learner and is excited about advanced curriculum in all other academic subjects except Chinese lol. We do have another offer in another IP school that is more English oriented but further however me and husband do like the Chinese culture and believe students from HCI will be more well rounded.
Oh well, I prob just present the facts to my son and let him decide.

Congrats, it is good to have choices. As alluded to above and in other posts, I feel there is a difference between not great at Chinese but willing to learn and work at it vs. despise Chinese (e.g. would rather go to the dentist than revise CL). For the former, my impression is that most kids will still pass the HCL O Level and be free of Chinese at JC. They may have to work a little bit harder, and whether that is worth it or a good use of time (scare resource) is harder to say and probably depends on each individual.

The boys do need to put both EL and HCL in the yearly grade computations and they need to pass both languages (C6 or 50%), which may be different from other schools (I'm not entirely sure but I think it varies depending on the school / course). Anyways, similar to above, I think most will be OK...

Good luck and congrats again.

[SG_KP1]

mystique_j\" post_id=\"2118746\" time=\"1694226974\" user_id=\"39431:

Hi, anyone mind sharing this year's S2 textbook list? I would like to know specifically for history, what are they going to be learning, considering they completed 3 out 5 chapters of the S2 textbook in S1. So, only left with 2 chapters of the S2 textbook. Then what else is there for S2?
For Math and Science, I think there's no more textbooks to buy since they already bought all the books in S1.

Previously, the S2 History textbook was IGCSE Modern World History Option B : The 20th Century. I think they cover some world stuff up to / around WW2.

Anyways, see if some current S2 parent will reply. Otherwise, perhaps just have the kid drop by the bookshop and see what's there. Also, if interested to read this kind of stuff on your own ahead of time, just ask the teachers come mid-Oct.