Petition to Review the Singapore Education System

[meinteel]

Parents should first consider how your child managed to get the high score for PSLE. Is he capable of handling much more work load on his own? If not, take the normal route. The number of years taken till A levels would still be the same, the only difference is that he will be provided with the additional O level certificate.


One should be mindful that an IP student who fails his A levels only has PSLE qualifications. That itself would not even be sufficient for him to become a management TRAINEE in a fastfood outlet.

Do weigh the pro and cons of any programs carefully before throwing your kid in it.

[janet88]

pixiedust:

I am struggling to keep up with the discussions. Besides understanding the original petition, signing it and helping to publise it, we'll need to wait and see, is that right ?

I HOPE the newly appointed Education Minister Mr Heng, logins to KSP forum and view the frustrations & stress we parents at upper primary are facing. Since PM mentioned he is 'hearing the voices' of citizens from GE, then put a minister who can do something constructive asap. Mr Heng mentioned that he has a keen interest in education.

[janet88]

meinteel:

Parents should first consider how your child managed to get the high score for PSLE. Is he capable of handling much more work load on his own? If not, take the normal route. The number of years taken till A levels would still be the same, the only difference is that he will be provided with the additional O level certificate.


One should be mindful that an IP student who fails his A levels only has PSLE qualifications. That itself would not even be sufficient for him to become a management TRAINEE in a fastfood outlet.

Do weigh the pro and cons of any programs carefully before throwing your kid in it.

A child who manages to gain high score for PSLE may not necessarily mean he/she is mature enough to take on IP workload & peer pressure. Being gifted doesn't apply to all subjects, but the child is able to cope with weaker ones with more ease.

[corneyAmber]

cwc:

I too just heard of 1 case.....child in IP first year. Hasn't been doing well in one particular subject (English??) and kena warning a few times. Seems like the principal now warning the child if fail 1 more time, out he goes. Scary isn't it??

Is this a DSA by talent case? DSA by talent case also faces alot of pressure to keep up as the PSLE score may not be stellar to enter the IP school. So I am also strongly against DSA by talent if academic is not strong. The gifted and good PSLE case should have entered based on GEP and then good PSLE score. The 27x case entered based on GOOD PSLE score. So at the end of the day this PSLE nightmare seems to last until a child enters the uni. In the past, if there is a point of failure, at least there is a 'O' level cert and 'A' level cert to decide to further studies with private institutions or apply for work first.

Nowadays, the nightmare begins with PSLE t-score. One cannot loosen up until the child enters the uni otherwise only ends up with PSLE cert. :scared:

[corneyAmber]

sall:

For students in IP sch, dd's sch, at the end of Y4, they are issued a certificate which is equivalent or better than O level cert. This is what the principal said.

For students who can't do well in such important subject like English, then it is better and wiser to let them transfer to another non-IP sch. I don't think it's cruel or heartless for the sch to do so, it is for the sake of the student's future.

Is this new? Any official MOE statement on this as a practice across all schools? I felt really sympathetic towards that child who went through IP and ended with only a PSLE cert. which could get him nowhere. :sad: Most importantly, employers or private institutions recognise this certificate?

[corneyAmber]

janet_lee88:

meinteel:

Parents should first consider how your child managed to get the high score for PSLE. Is he capable of handling much more work load on his own? If not, take the normal route. The number of years taken till A levels would still be the same, the only difference is that he will be provided with the additional O level certificate.


One should be mindful that an IP student who fails his A levels only has PSLE qualifications. That itself would not even be sufficient for him to become a management TRAINEE in a fastfood outlet.

Do weigh the pro and cons of any programs carefully before throwing your kid in it.

A child who manages to gain high score for PSLE may not necessarily mean he/she is mature enough to take on IP workload & peer pressure. Being gifted doesn't apply to all subjects, but the child is able to cope with weaker ones with more ease.

I totally agree but you know it is really unnerving to be parents these days. I constantly worry that I make the wrong decisions for my child given all these uncertainties. Say, the above scenario you mentioned, as parents, we opted out for the child...sometime down the road, the child felt that he/she was able to handle but was not given the chance to try, how? We cannot turn back the clock. I believe other than being kiasu, there is a group of parents who also fear making the wrong decisions for the child especially when the stakes are so HIGH!

[sall]

ksi:

Is this new? Any official MOE statement on this as a practice across all schools? I felt really sympathetic towards that child who went through IP and ended with only a PSLE cert. which could get him nowhere. :sad: Most importantly, employers or private institutions recognise this certificate?

I don't know whether it is a practice across all IP schools. In dd's sch, the P assured us about this.
Parents should not worry that the students will only have psle cert if they fail A level. They have records of their performance in the IP sch and I'm sure the sch will help them with their next move.

[meinteel]

Records of performance mean little. As far as I can see from the websites of NUS/NTU/SMU and our largest private uni SIM, the very FIRST criteria of APPLICATION - not acceptance - is well, GCE A Levels, Diploma from a local Polytechnic or other international qualifications like SAT, IB, FB, Gao Kao etc.


Any decent universities will require you to submit your two highest qualification ( in this case failed A levels + PSLE). Unless you get a minimum of straight Cs for your GCE A levels, it is generally the accumulated blessings of several generations for the student to get admitted into a local university. Anyone who Ds and Es -which by the way are still passes- can well, forget about applying.

These universities did not ask for, and would not look at transcipts from your college/schools. For example, SIM does not even accept MOE’s graduation book displaying your A level results. They insist on referring to Cambridge’s certificate.

[corneyAmber]

meinteel:

Records of performance mean little. As far as I can see from the websites of NUS/NTU/SMU and our largest private uni SIM, the very FIRST criteria of APPLICATION - not acceptance - is well, GCE A Levels, Diploma from a local Polytechnic or other international qualifications like SAT, IB, FB, Gao Kao etc.


Any decent universities will require you to submit your two highest qualification ( in this case failed A levels + PSLE). Unless you get a minimum of straight Cs for your GCE A levels, it is generally the accumulated blessings of several generations for the student to get admitted into a local university. Anyone who Ds and Es -which by the way are still passes- can well, forget about applying.

These universities did not ask for, and would not look at transcipts from your college/schools. For example, SIM does not even accept MOE's graduation book displaying your A level results. They insist on referring to Cambridge's certificate.

I tend to agree with you because they don't put decision-makers behind the admission desk so they would only look at all standard documents. If you need to vary, it will take alot more effort to get the attention of the decision-maker and sometimes it is just impossible to make that exception too even with the decision-makers.

[meinteel]

In a law by law, everything by the book place…Better to be safe than sorry. Look at the hard cold facts, the "worthless piece of paper" can make a world of difference.


When the school says "help them make the next move", they are by no means referring to helping your child make it into a university. They can "reccomend" your child for a placing, assist him into securing foundation programs or arrange for him to retake his A levels the following year. I don’t think any of these solutions would sit well by a parent, would it?