School Placement Exercise for returning S'porean children

[MommyLai]

Hi,I am new here. Saw this forum about returning singaporeans taking moe spers exams. My son will need to sit for it next year, so trying to prepare him. Thought of getting a tutor for him to focus on intensive tutoring when we do back Singapore next yr. Any one knows of a good tutor who have experience preparing students for the spers exam? Would appreciate if you can let me know. Thank you. :?:

[Shanghaied]

MommyLai:

Hi,I am new here. Saw this forum about returning singaporeans taking moe spers exams. My son will need to sit for it next year, so trying to prepare him. Thought of getting a tutor for him to focus on intensive tutoring when we do back Singapore next yr. Any one knows of a good tutor who have experience preparing students for the spers exam? Would appreciate if you can let me know. Thank you. :?:

Hi, perhaps I can share my experience but I must caution you that my DD sat for SPERS-SEC this year as a Sec 2 student for admission to Sec. 3:

1. Focus on Maths and English; there is a half-hour session which according to my DD looked like a Mensa test. Our rationale is it is to test reasoning and logic;

2. English understanding is very important - especially for us since my DD was returning from China – but I gather it was not so tough after all. Same goes for Maths.

3. The same goes for Maths, so the bottom line is the ‘Mensa’ test.

4. Results – as in list of schools available – were out on November 10. We had to submit our choice of six schools between November 11 and 15. One amendment was allowed (which we used).

5. The wait was interminable - posting result was released by e-mail on December 2 (although MOE said by December 3), and we had two weeks (i.e. by December 17) to register with the school to which my DD was posted.

6. The school was our top choice, out of a list of 148 schools. I guess only the boy's schools were omitted!

7. We have found out that for this year's cohort of Sec 2 students (at least 40; I am assuming around 60), two students, including my DD, were posted to the school. The deduction: Schools have more than one place available!

8. On a separate note we registered with another school which did not conduct DSA but had only a waiting list. The official reply (before we received our schools list) was that there was no place in that school. I called and was told that if the school was our top choice (which it wasn't, although it was one of our choices) and we were successfully posted, it would have to take in my DD.

9. All in, a very satisfying process. Guess the system works.

10. The same cannot be said for DSA. My DD was rejected on two occasions, ostensibly on command of English but in one case I believe was based on 'elitist' mentality since the interviewer asked about my job in China. Try to prepare as much as possible for SPERS-SEC. Depending on where your child is, by all means go for DSAs, because every additional test adds to the experience and serves as preparation for SPERS-SEC. The only thing is DSA for schools can be as early as July and stretches all the way to November. We spent a bundle on airfares!

11. One other tip which I am sure you would have known by now: go to Bras Basah Complex and grab some of those 10-year exam series. They would go some way towards understanding the school system here, if you are not already familiar with it. My DD continued to attend school and really prepared only during the summer holdiay, albeit rather 'sloppily' (she preferred to chat with classmates online!)

12. We weren't, because my DD started P1 in a local school in China and has been in the Chinese system all the way until this year.

I have tried to be as detailed as possible for everyone's benefit.

Happy New Year!

[joconde]

Hi,


I’m helping a friend explore options for her dd who is returning to SG this june, and need some advice from fellow forumers.

Friend’s dd was born in 1999 so suppose to be P6 this yr. She left SG at preschool age and has never been exposed to SG syllabus all this while.

Both me & my friend called MOE, and the options are either she downgrade to join P5, or wait to take SPERS exams in Oct.

It seems to me SPERS is a better option, as no need to waste one year, but i just wanna double confirm if this decision is right. Without going thru SG primary education, will she be able to cope with secondary ? Anyone with similiar experience to share ? The international school she currently attends is very relax, and she’s not very academic type, and doesn’t read much.

Also, if the girl go for SPERS, it means she will not attend school for half a year, maybe only private tuition, etc. Is that normal ?


Thanks !

[Freesia]

I would rather go the internatinal school route.

[joconde]

Freesia:

I would rather go the internatinal school route.

too bad this option is economically not viable to my friend

[Shanghaied]

joconde:

Hi,


I'm helping a friend explore options for her dd who is returning to SG this june, and need some advice from fellow forumers.

Friend's dd was born in 1999 so suppose to be P6 this yr. She left SG at preschool age and has never been exposed to SG syllabus all this while.

Both me & my friend called MOE, and the options are either she downgrade to join P5, or wait to take SPERS exams in Oct.

It seems to me SPERS is a better option, as no need to waste one year, but i just wanna double confirm if this decision is right. Without going thru SG primary education, will she be able to cope with secondary ? Anyone with similiar experience to share ? The international school she currently attends is very relax, and she's not very academic type, and doesn't read much.

Also, if the girl go for SPERS, it means she will not attend school for half a year, maybe only private tuition, etc. Is that normal ?


Thanks !

SPERS would be a better option from personal experience, although that should not stop yr friend from considering DSA. In any event no school will take P6 student so yr friend should plan for S1 intake which is more ideal.

SPERS is held in October (registration commences late July) so a return trip would suffice. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the test is more about logic thinking (that IQ test bit) than Math and English. Yr friend shld prepare her dd, but there's no need to drop school just to prepare for SPERS. Yr friend can also look around for schools which accept students on waiting list without DSA, but I must caution you the waiting list is usually a very long one!!

I have been told about someone walking into an unnamed school and demanded to have his child admitted. It worked, but I am not privy to the events. Pretty 'strong arm', I must say.

PS. My dd was also not exposed to SG syllabus between P1 and S3.

[jtoh]

Shanghaied:

joconde:

Hi,


I'm helping a friend explore options for her dd who is returning to SG this june, and need some advice from fellow forumers.

Friend's dd was born in 1999 so suppose to be P6 this yr. She left SG at preschool age and has never been exposed to SG syllabus all this while.

Both me & my friend called MOE, and the options are either she downgrade to join P5, or wait to take SPERS exams in Oct.

It seems to me SPERS is a better option, as no need to waste one year, but i just wanna double confirm if this decision is right. Without going thru SG primary education, will she be able to cope with secondary ? Anyone with similiar experience to share ? The international school she currently attends is very relax, and she's not very academic type, and doesn't read much.

Also, if the girl go for SPERS, it means she will not attend school for half a year, maybe only private tuition, etc. Is that normal ?


Thanks !

SPERS would be a better option from personal experience, although that should not stop yr friend from considering DSA. In any event no school will take P6 student so yr friend should plan for S1 intake which is more ideal.

SPERS is held in October (registration commences late July) so a return trip would suffice. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the test is more about logic thinking (that IQ test bit) than Math and English. Yr friend shld prepare her dd, but there's no need to drop school just to prepare for SPERS. Yr friend can also look around for schools which accept students on waiting list without DSA, but I must caution you the waiting list is usually a very long one!!

I have been told about someone walking into an unnamed school and demanded to have his child admitted. It worked, but I am not privy to the events. Pretty 'strong arm', I must say.

PS. My dd was also not exposed to SG syllabus between P1 and S3.

Wow! I suppose the child had something to offer the school.

[Shanghaied]

jtoh:

Shanghaied:

[quote=\"joconde\"]Hi,


I'm helping a friend explore options for her dd who is returning to SG this june, and need some advice from fellow forumers.

Friend's dd was born in 1999 so suppose to be P6 this yr. She left SG at preschool age and has never been exposed to SG syllabus all this while.

Both me & my friend called MOE, and the options are either she downgrade to join P5, or wait to take SPERS exams in Oct.

It seems to me SPERS is a better option, as no need to waste one year, but i just wanna double confirm if this decision is right. Without going thru SG primary education, will she be able to cope with secondary ? Anyone with similiar experience to share ? The international school she currently attends is very relax, and she's not very academic type, and doesn't read much.

Also, if the girl go for SPERS, it means she will not attend school for half a year, maybe only private tuition, etc. Is that normal ?


Thanks !

SPERS would be a better option from personal experience, although that should not stop yr friend from considering DSA. In any event no school will take P6 student so yr friend should plan for S1 intake which is more ideal.

SPERS is held in October (registration commences late July) so a return trip would suffice. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the test is more about logic thinking (that IQ test bit) than Math and English. Yr friend shld prepare her dd, but there's no need to drop school just to prepare for SPERS. Yr friend can also look around for schools which accept students on waiting list without DSA, but I must caution you the waiting list is usually a very long one!!

I have been told about someone walking into an unnamed school and demanded to have his child admitted. It worked, but I am not privy to the events. Pretty 'strong arm', I must say.

PS. My dd was also not exposed to SG syllabus between P1 and S3.

Wow! I suppose the child had something to offer the school.[/quote]Or the parent...

[jtoh]

Shanghaied:

Or the parent...

Hhmm....

[joconde]

Shanghaied:

joconde:

Hi,


I'm helping a friend explore options for her dd who is returning to SG this june, and need some advice from fellow forumers.

Friend's dd was born in 1999 so suppose to be P6 this yr. She left SG at preschool age and has never been exposed to SG syllabus all this while.

Both me & my friend called MOE, and the options are either she downgrade to join P5, or wait to take SPERS exams in Oct.

It seems to me SPERS is a better option, as no need to waste one year, but i just wanna double confirm if this decision is right. Without going thru SG primary education, will she be able to cope with secondary ? Anyone with similiar experience to share ? The international school she currently attends is very relax, and she's not very academic type, and doesn't read much.

Also, if the girl go for SPERS, it means she will not attend school for half a year, maybe only private tuition, etc. Is that normal ?


Thanks !

SPERS would be a better option from personal experience, although that should not stop yr friend from considering DSA. In any event no school will take P6 student so yr friend should plan for S1 intake which is more ideal.

SPERS is held in October (registration commences late July) so a return trip would suffice. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the test is more about logic thinking (that IQ test bit) than Math and English. Yr friend shld prepare her dd, but there's no need to drop school just to prepare for SPERS. Yr friend can also look around for schools which accept students on waiting list without DSA, but I must caution you the waiting list is usually a very long one!!

I have been told about someone walking into an unnamed school and demanded to have his child admitted. It worked, but I am not privy to the events. Pretty 'strong arm', I must say.

PS. My dd was also not exposed to SG syllabus between P1 and S3.

I inquired a few primary schools but they do not take in students at P6 level. Will try calling up more schools.

Thanks for the advice !