MOE to scrap Banding for Secondary Schools
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HAPPYH:
That will be wonderful.[/quote]Actually I am wondering how those tuition centers are feeling now upon hearing these announcements. Will they feel :nailbite: or they will continue to
I like these 2 changes if school can make it happen.ksi:
[quote=\"Kissgurami\"]Breaking News
In his speech, he also urged schools to better manage the amount of homework given to students.
Schools should not set exams assuming that students have external tuition, he added. Excessive tuition, he said, can be harmful if students over-learn and become bored in class.
as parents will continue to fund their big cars and house 
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ksi:
Hmm, I had this impression that the banding also kind of justified for the call for higher COP...Kissgurami:
Just curious, by scrapping the banding, what does it mean for cut off points?
COP is partly determined by demand right? So previous year COP will be used as the guide to determine if one should choose the school? -
MMM:
has pm you MMM..vlim:
that is so true for my p4's dd Science paper..... :skeptical:
Hi vlim,
I spoke with FT and they acknowledged it was a difficult paper this time round... I flipped when I heard the results and ds's explanation. Was thinking if ds is coming up with some excuses to cover up for his poor results.
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MMM:
:goodpost:I find all the recent announcement by MOE very exciting. But I wonder how it will affect my primary going kids.
Also, I wonder to myself if Spore educated kids are becoming too focused on academic that they lack creativity, ability to speak up/ well and present oneself, social skills, common sense as most of the time is spent on mugging either at home/ enrichment centre, etc....to make sure they do well academically... (got IQ no EQ) Are all the recent initiatives/ communication done because MOE is trying to save our kids?
Can we switch to \"with immediate effect\" mode to look beyond academic? Since I've a P5, P4 and P1, I am wondering how to do so especially for my P5 when the society at large is still focusing on academic???? Eg. secondary schools that are accepting the students based on their PSLE COP, etc... :? Do they look beyond academic and how is that measured???? Well... if as a result of this change, my kids get to DSA into the target secondary school to pursue their passion in their CCA, I would of course be very happy. But in the meantime.... is that possible since they also want a minimum overall score to be met?????
At this moment, I feel that it's a nice to know MOE is looking beyond academic BUT how from operational point of view????? Are they immediately changing the school mindset to make that happen???? If not, to me, it's empty talk as the academic focus and kiasuism will still be there... -
I’m happy to read this portion
"Schools should not set exams assuming that students have external tuition, he added. Excessive tuition, he said, can be harmful if students over-learn and become bored in class."
About the homework portion, I hope teachers will still give enough to make sure the students understand the concept and know how to use a particular set of skills or master a particular competency.
I’m puzzled about the removal of the banding though. I mean the PSLE as it is, is about testing the students’ academic abilities. The S1 postings to sec school is determined by PSLE T-score. I mean getting in the sec school is based on meritocracy. So I don’t understand when the minister said to look beyond academics when selecting sec schools. I mean for a student with a particular talent, he/she will try to match a sec school with the niche with the PSLE t-score as much as possible. I know there are cases whereby students will choose a school that has a lower COP then the T-score but how many is becos of sec school’s niche area? -
Ya, same sentiment on the hw portion. Already dd super switch off English teacher hardly give much to begin with, now with all these … She has all the excuses to do nothing n collect her ‘fatter’ paycheck.
Ps, I am not against pay increment for the teaching profession but I am just so frustrated w a group of them that simply there but waste our kids time… There is nothing much we can do even highlight to higher authority. -
If all secondary schools are good, do away with cut off point.
At the end of PSLE, it is about academic to get to an IP or better secondary school. At the end of O level it is about academic to get into a good JC.
At the end of A level, it is about academic to get scholarship and a good uni.
At the end of uni, it is about academic to land a good job. -
jtoh:
With so many of the top schools going IP and not taking O level, there would be a big change in the Band 1 schools. One of the reasons for doing away with banding.
I feel the banding will still be useful for students who do not select IP schools to know which one are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc after the IP schools -
Kissgurami:
I like those in blues.Breaking News
The Education Ministry will scrap the banding of secondary schools in a move to encourage parents to look beyond academic results when picking a school for their child.
This was announced by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat at the ministry's annual workplan seminar this morning, which outlined priorities for the year ahead.
Currently, secondary schools are banded based on O-Level results, with Band 1 being the top band. Some schools, such as IP schools, are not banded. This information is given to parents, some of whom use it as a yardstick when deciding where to enrol their children.
However, the Ministry said it would continue to provide information, such as the value-addedness of schools. This measures the progress of students during their secondary school years.
Mr Heng also announced that some secondary school awards, such as the School Excellence Award, will be scrapped so that schools can focus on the core task of educating students.
The Ministry will also pump in $55 million over the next five years for every school to build its own niche area. These niche areas could range from the visual arts to wushu.
In his speech, he also urged schools to better manage the amount of homework given to students.
Schools should not set exams assuming that students have external tuition, he added. Excessive tuition, he said, can be harmful if students over-learn and become bored in class.
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/moe-scrap-banding-secondary-schools-20120912
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I think DS's school took LHL ND speech pretty seriously. Especially the part about homework. March term break, DS had quite a fair bit of homework, for June hols also. But this recent Sept term break, not a single piece of homework.
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