MOE to scrap Banding for Secondary Schools

[verykiasu2010]

no time to catch up reading from page 1


here is my view. when MOE stops the banding, there will be enterprising people who will start to compile the data and do their own research and ranking and analysis, and parents will buy those info in a book, or subscribe to a website

I know there were people who wanted to do just that - research, compile & analyse data, interview the school, and rank them, and sell the info

Probably ksp website could one day evolve into that database, subscription based

Not giving any idea to CKS to start charging. It is just an example

The bottom line is, MOE does not do it, others will do it. Last time it was done by SPH/ST

[Nebbermind]

Like that MOE win liao lor!

[verykiasu2010]

Nebbermind:

Like that MOE win liao lor!

since when they ever lose ?

but anyway, this is not about who win who lose

[tutormum]

pinky:

I support the scrapping too. Heard from friends of schools asking their students to drop subjects that they did not do well in case it affect the school overall ranking. (I suppose referring to S4 students). Wonder if it is a common practice :yikes:

No need to wonder. It is so common that every school is doing it. Thank God that DS3 is able to take Literature as O level as he loves it. His school has not offered it for seven years. I know the main reason that students are not encouraged to take Literature cos of the low chance of scoring A. Schools don't want it to pull down the overall ranking while students don't want to get anything less than A. :sad:

[pinky]

tutormum:

pinky:

I support the scrapping too. Heard from friends of schools asking their students to drop subjects that they did not do well in case it affect the school overall ranking. (I suppose referring to S4 students). Wonder if it is a common practice :yikes:

No need to wonder. It is so common that every school is doing it. Thank God that DS3 is able to take Literature as O level as he loves it. His school has not offered it for seven years. I know the main reason that students are not encouraged to take Literature cos of the low chance of scoring A. Schools don't want it to pull down the overall ranking while students don't want to get anything less than A. :sad:

so how was your son able to take it now? he must be very happy

[Nebbermind]

tutormum:

No need to wonder. It is so common that every school is doing it. Thank God that DS3 is able to take Literature as O level as he loves it. His school has not offered it for seven years. I know the main reason that students are not encouraged to take Literature cos of the low chance of scoring A. Schools don't want it to pull down the overall ranking while students don't want to get anything less than A. :sad:

Sad, isn't it? The system had somehow force the schools to produce one-dimension students.

[Chenonceau]

slmkhoo:

This is the main reason I applaud scrapping the banding. When schools are more concerned about the no. of As than educating kids in a more all-rounded way, then our education system is not doing its job. At least when there is no official ranking, teachers' and principals' performance and promotions will not be tied to the ranking, and kids will not be pressured to only take subjects they can score As in or take CCAs they win awards in.

If some people think it's important enough to privately rank schools, that's their prerogative. Actually, knowing something about the school's performance when selecting schools is a good thing (think of the Times Higher Education Supplement and similar publications), but teachers' should not be pressured to make raising the school's ranking their main goal. I also take issue with the banding as it was practised - why only rank by exam results? That's really too one-dimensional.

Finally, parents should consider whether the school is a good fit for the child rather than assuming that getting the child into a 'good' school necessarily means that the child will get those 'good' results. That child might end up as the trailing tail if the school is too competitive for him even if the teachers are supportive.

I begin to sound like some sort of sycophant but... :goodpost:

[mummy so kiasu]

SAHM_TAN:

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

I agree with you. Such info will help parents to choose the right schools for their P6 kids. Everyone knows that the elite schools are RI, RGS, HCI, NYGH, but we do not know much about the neighbourhood schools. Banding tells the parents how well the schools prepared the kids for the O level exam. It also help parents to differentiate the better neighbourhood schools from the so so ones. If every school is good, then not every school is equally good. If every school is good, then why do the kids need to study so hard for PSLE to get higher T score.

[verykiasu2010]

mummy so kiasu:

SAHM_TAN:

[quote=\"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

I agree with you. Such info will help parents to choose the right schools for their P6 kids. Everyone knows that the elite schools are RI, RGS, HCI, NYGH, but we do not know much about the neighbourhood schools. Banding tells the parents how well the schools prepared the kids for the O level exam. It also help parents to differentiate the better neighbourhood schools from the so so ones. If every school is good, then not every school is equally good. If every school is good, then why do the kids need to study so hard for PSLE to get higher T score.[/quote]websites like ksp becomes useful

CKS : you should go advertise in every primary school, where to look for info on sec school

[Lilac66]

tutormum:

pinky:

I support the scrapping too. Heard from friends of schools asking their students to drop subjects that they did not do well in case it affect the school overall ranking. (I suppose referring to S4 students). Wonder if it is a common practice :yikes:

No need to wonder. It is so common that every school is doing it. Thank God that DS3 is able to take Literature as O level as he loves it. His school has not offered it for seven years. I know the main reason that students are not encouraged to take Literature cos of the low chance of scoring A. Schools don't want it to pull down the overall ranking while students don't want to get anything less than A. :sad:

I'm really out of touch. I did not know schools will resort to that to preserve their rankings. :rant:
Aren't schools supposed to nurture the children's talent and interest.You mean we'll see only a flood scientists and mathematicians in the future but none more inclined towards the arts??

Good thing the banding is going to be scrapped.