Express or Normal stream

[janice_koh]

really huh…then we better think twice.

[janice_koh]

thanks for elaborating; will die die go for express even if it is a 188 entry school

[janice_koh]

I was thinking to place my child in a good school; dont mind normal stream cos afraid he might stray. what do you think?

[rains]

Honestly, I haven’t heard of a ‘good Normal stream class’ yet. Perhaps there is, but I haven’t come across.


You don’t have much control over the classmates your child is going to have. I thought it wiser to make a decision based on the academics.

As I understood, Normal stream uses a simplified version of Express textbooks. I’m not sure about now, but 20 years ago, my Normal stream friends’ Chinese textbooks have less chapters, and their English textbooks are different.

[schellen]

rains:

As I understood, Normal stream uses a simplified version of Express textbooks. I'm not sure about now, but 20 years ago, my Normal stream friends' Chinese textbooks have less chapters, and their English textbooks are different.

It is still true. Sometimes, they buy different books but sometimes, Normal students may still have to buy the same book (at the same cost) but certain sections may be marked out for Express only or a simplified version (of the concept or sub-chapter) may be included for Normal.

[janice_koh]

its a big ego issue hor…?

[hashroop]

When asked, are schools willing to reveal the aggregrate they are looking to accept express students?

[MMM]

I know as a parent, we hope that our kids do well in school, etc…


But sometimes, it’s rather beyond our control. I personally think the education system classify our children too early into "good" or "bad". During my era, it was just normal stream and they don’t even split by technical or academic.

It is horrifying to learn of the new split and if the child goes to normal (technical), this means his options are limited??? What happens to kids who are late bloomer?

I went to the normal stream after PSLE. It was only in Sec 3 that I realised the fun and importance of studying. It was too late for me to go to express but at least I get to do my "O" and subsequently completed my degree,etc… I considered myself a late bloomer and probably beyond my parent’s "control" though they engaged tutors,etc… for me in my primary school days. I just wasn’t motivated and my parents were happy if I passed and didn’t xpect much.

In the papers, we’ve also read of people who went to normal stream and subsequently poly, uni etc… and top the school.

[rains]

hashroop:

When asked, are schools willing to reveal the aggregrate they are looking to accept express students?

If I understand correctly, the P6s are given a booklet on sec sch admission that advises them on the cut off points.

[rains]

janice_koh:

its a big ego issue hor...?

Sometimes I feel that it's how you want to see it. A nice word for 'ego' is 'pride'.

I remember when I was a student, and lining up to buy my bus stamp, there was this guy in a jc uniform 'confessing' to his schoolmate in the same uniform that he's from the normal stream. The nice girl looked ludicrous and said, almost shouting,\"What's the big deal that you're from normal stream?!! What's the big deal?\"

A friend also told me she had a classmate in poly who felt inferior that he's from the normal stream. I'm not sure how many of them feel inferior that they are from normal stream tho.

Like what MMM said, I'm also a late bloomer. I'm even later. I only realised the importance of studies when I had my first kid and needed to support her. I always just scraped thro: my psle, O level and A level. But eventually, I did well for my degree and got a 2nd upper hons. My husband used to laugh at my previous results, reminding me of his 266 points for psle and his dunno how many points for O level and how many As for A level on a constant basis, but he only got merit for his degree. So after years of him laughing at me, it's my turn to laugh at him lor.