Help on ML exemption

[LaziDad]

Hi All,


Thanks for the info.

J@SEMBAWANG:

I hope you can help your your child. Do not give up.
Help your child to find away to improve the subject through tutor, enrichment etc.

Is the standard very high? Are you a Chinese?

My son's ML is not chinese. It's Vietnamese actually. I had tried all the options for him: private tuition, tuition centre. But he's struggling. Haizzz. His P5 SA1, CA2 are all around 38% only.

PSLE is 10 months away from now. And the best I can hope for is 50 marks in ML. But 50 marks will affect his PSLE T-score badly. Haizzz.

mommyNg:

What I read from other KSP posts is that SAP schools would require their students to take HCL in Sec 1, at least. So if your child is posted to a SAP school based on his PSLE score (presumably the posting based on PSLE scores is \"blind\" to such exemption?) then he would be required to take HCL even if he was exempted from that in pri sch. However, if he wishes to apply DSA to a SAP school, then he would need to \"convince\" the school that he is capable of doing HCL, eg the sch may require him to take a HCL test.

Perhaps somebody with experience could verify this?

So there's no hope for my son to join SAP schools :(.

pupilview:

Isn't it unfair that only students who take Mandarin can get admission to SAP schools?? How about those who take another language?Do correct me if I am wrong.Every child should be given an equal opportunity.What if the child coming from a chinese background simply doesn't want to study the language - give him/her an option to study another language.Maybe some other parents can shed light....

Because SAP schools emphasis on chinese cultures. Naturally they will ask for HCL. But I do agree with you that there should be SAP schools for chinese and SAP schools for malay, tamil as well.

junrahmat:

Hi LaziDad,
There are foreign students, such as Koreans, who are exempted from MT. They only write for 3 subjects during PSLE and perform well enough to be admitted to reputable (non SAP) schools.

Thanks, Junrahmat.

[Cheerfuldad]

LaziDad:

My boy in P5 is doing really badly in ML (Chinese), around 38% consistently from P3. I'm considering to apply to MOE for ML exemption (Well, he’s eligible).


Experienced parents pls enlighten me on:
1.\tWill his choice of secondary schools be limited? I heard some sec schools do not accept students with ML exemption. Is this true?
2.\tAlong the way in secondary schools, my son suddenly wants to study ML again (I hope ). Is this possible?

Very appreciate your help.

Hi LaziDad,

Q1 His choices of seconday will not be limited. He will be using the PSLE T score based on 3 subjects to apply for all the Secondary Schools including RI, HCI, ACS, VS, etc. so long he meet the COP. This information has been confirmed by MOE and the schools I mentioned earlier.

Q2. Not Sure. :love:

[LaziDad]

Cheerfuldad:

Hi LaziDad,

Q1 His choices of seconday will not be limited. He will be using the PSLE T score based on 3 subjects to apply for all the Secondary Schools including RI, HCI, ACS, VS, etc. so long he meet the COP. This information has been confirmed by MOE and the schools I mentioned earlier.

Q2. Not Sure. :love:

Hi CheerfulDad,

Our nickname is very match :lol: . Thank a lot for your info. So my hope is alive again :).

Do you know what happen to the ML exempted boys in SAP school like HCI? Do they have to take HCL even they were exempted the ML in pri? Thx.

[peterch]

LaziDad:

My boy in P5 is doing really badly in ML (Chinese), around 38% consistently from P3. I'm considering to apply to MOE for ML exemption (Well, he’s eligible).


Experienced parents pls enlighten me on:
1.\tWill his choice of secondary schools be limited? I heard some sec schools do not accept students with ML exemption. Is this true?
2.\tAlong the way in secondary schools, my son suddenly wants to study ML again (I hope ). Is this possible?

Very appreciate your help.

Hi, one of my friend DD got this MT exemption and I read the letter from MOE regarding this.

According to the letter,
1. Your DS for can apply to any secondary school EXCEPT SAP school
2. Once you apply for this, you may apply to cancel the exemption but NOT Guaranteed

My advice, please think over this carefully and wisely. PM me your email, I'll try to get the copy of the letter for you.

[LaziDad]

peterch:

Hi, one of my friend DD got this MT exemption and I read the letter from MOE regarding this.

According to the letter,
1. Your DS for can apply to any secondary school EXCEPT SAP school
2. Once you apply for this, you may apply to cancel the exemption but NOT Guaranteed

My advice, please think over this carefully and wisely. PM me your email, I'll try to get the copy of the letter for you.

Hi peterch,

PM you my email already. Thank you a million

[peterch]

Please check here : http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/returning-singaporeans/mother-tongue-policy/


List of SAP Schools from MOE Website:

Anglican High School
Catholic High School
CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School
Chung Cheng High School (Main)
Dunman High School
Hwa Chong Institution (High School Section)
Maris Stella High School
Nanyang Girls’ High School
River Valley High School
Nan Hua High School

If these are not your DS target, then exemption should be fine.

[poots]

I’ve a S1 kid in a Band 1 SAP school & a P6 one who is exempted from MT. The S1 kid is doing MT, not HMT (among a minority in this school).


If you have a genuine case for exemption, I think you should go for it! All the more as I gather Chinese is not even your child’s MT!! A poor CL grade will REALLY affect the PSLE score (especially as over 80% of the cohort gets A/A*). Getting U grade (<20%) means automatic retention. Running on 3 subjects, a kid cannot expect to top the Nation, but up to 260+ is possible and many schools including top ones like RI / RGS (but not SAP) accept them thru DSA or thru MOE posting exercise.

Your child can always pick up CL at his own pace after PSLE, and sit for exams a few times (many kids do O Levels CL separately from other subjects anyway - and sitting for it twice is also quite normal). Those who argue that this is unfair do not understand that some kids have a genuine basis for exemption, and that MOE makes provisions for them. If the MOE panel of specialists has approved the exemption, no one has the right to judge you harshly. What can I say … surely a one-legged child should not be expected to compete with able-bodied 2-legged children in running. If you need further advice, do msg me. Been there, done that.

[Aberc]

How is the t-score calculated for students with only 3 subjects?

[jacsplace]

We are Indians but we don’t speak, read and write Tamil or any other Indian language. The only language we are fluent in is English.


My children take Tamil as their MTL and are struggling with it. This subject is affecting their ability to cope with the other subjects.

My husband and I would like to exempt them from MTL, particularly as there is no value in learning Tamil, at least in Singapore where everything is in English and Mandarin.

Can anyone advise: what our chances of successfully getting exemptions from MTL? What are the disadvantages of doing so? Will our children be penalised in any way?

[poots]

You can try writing to MOE with your reasons. You have a good chance if the children have been studying overseas as returnees can get exemption easily. If you are unlikely to go overseas, you can try to get the children tested by a psychologist about possible "Tamil" dyslexia. It costs about $500 but MOE may not grant exemption if the dyslexia is very mild. The thing is, many kids who take Chinese for MT also do not speak Chinese to anyone at home, and some of them are not even Chinese (in my child’s "SAP" school there are Malay, Indian & Eurasian kids who speak very good Chinese). Most kids I know have Chinese tuition.


Kids who are exempted are not really penalized, apart from not being able to go to SAP schools where Chinese is compulsory. However, if they do well enough at PSLE to qualify to learn a 3rd language in secondary school, and they choose to do so, they will have to offer this as a 2nd language and will not be allowed to drop it later. A big advantage of exemption is that they are deemed to have satisfied the MT requirement for entry to local university, and will be exempted all the way through sec sch / JC. They might get penalized in the job market though.

For kids who don’t do so well at MT, the other way of getting into a school of choice is to aim for Direct School Admission - using talent in sports, aesthetics or excellence in a particular subject. Although there will be a written test, this is usually only English & Maths, and most of them do not test for MT. But getting a place through DSA is a double-edged sword cos you will not be able to change schools once you accept an offer.

I don’t know how the PSLE scores are calculated. Obviously if the child is failing at MT, getting an exemption will boost his PSLE scores tremendously. I know many kids who were exempted from MT made it into top IP schools including ACSI, Raffles etc.