Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

[autolycus]

kamom:

autolycus:

Tharman S and Ng Eng Hen are high-profile examples. It's just that they are more broadly educated than the usual scientist...

Sure?

*grin*

Eh some clues to that can be found in https://www.dropbox.com/s/orr68znjoijjorf/2005%20Proxy%20Arena%20%28Edited%29.pdf (yes 2005 is a long time ago). Enjoy.

[nani]

Anyone can share for Y3, is Lit complusory? Or can do History and Geog?


Thanks

[autolycus]

Yes, for Y3, Eng/Lit is compulsory. That’s because for the IB programme, Lit is a compulsory component (English A, at Standard or Higher Level). You can try to do it with both History and Geog, but understandably few people want to do that and if there are too few, the school will not open up a class for it, due to timetabling constraints.

[nani]

Thanks, what about for the Express?

[Lynn2010]

autolycus:

Yes, for Y3, Eng/Lit is compulsory. That's because for the IB programme, Lit is a compulsory component (English A, at Standard or Higher Level). You can try to do it with both History and Geog, but understandably few people want to do that and if there are too few, the school will not open up a class for it, due to timetabling constraints.

Hi autolycus,

When you say Eng/Lit is compulsory, does it mean Eng = Lit? So one would not do something like GP kind of Eng?

[autolycus]

Lynn2010:

autolycus:

Yes, for Y3, Eng/Lit is compulsory. That's because for the IB programme, Lit is a compulsory component (English A, at Standard or Higher Level). You can try to do it with both History and Geog, but understandably few people want to do that and if there are too few, the school will not open up a class for it, due to timetabling constraints.

Hi autolycus,

When you say Eng/Lit is compulsory, does it mean Eng = Lit? So one would not do something like GP kind of Eng?

Technically the Sec 1-4 IP curriculum uses the term 'Language Arts'. But that's just the blanket term for a combination of English technique and Literature, divided into two concurrent and partly overlapping syllabi within the same curriculum. This helps to inculcate foundational skills not only in language use but in language interpretation and analysis — the kind found in IB Group 1, the English Lang + Lit and English Lit syllabi.

[autolycus]

nani:

Thanks, what about for the Express?

For the Express, even if Lit weren't compulsory, it should be (and is) the default. Lots of good reasons for that...

From the horse's mouth, http://sites.acsindep.edu.sg/english/EL%20Webpage,%20Curriculum%20Details,%20EL%20Express%20Syllabus.pdf of the 'plain vanilla' Express version of the ACS(I) curriculum.

[thimberwolf101]

autolycus:

Snow Crystal: hi, am glad to be back too!


1. Very few drop out; fewer than 5 each batch, generally.
2. The most common reason is general weakness — poor academic performance, most often caused by habitual slackness which isn't rectified in time.
3. They don't have difficulties adjusting at all, since the O-level track is more concrete to most of them.
4. Heh, a lot of them are in Medicine; some are in things like Aerospace Engineering or Computing/Computer Science. A lot end up in the black arts — business, economics, finance, accountancy. They span a varied range, all the way from hardcore science to fullblown aesthetics or humanities.

Hi Autolycus,

I have read all your advice and think IB is a wonderful syllubus - but not every bright kid will benefit from it.

Some friends have shared with me their kid's IB experience...The IB expects a lot of writing, not just in the humanities but also in the Science subjects. For e.g instead of reporting on a science experience and focus on getting the steps right, the IB syllubus expects students to write a 30-4 page report.
At the IB 'oral' test, the candidate gets to select an envelope from the examiner, open it and gets a couple of minutes to think about the theme. Then talk enough about the theme to impress the examiner. A friend has 2 kids - the daughter is outgoing and can 'talk an eskimo into buying a fridge'. She fareed well in IB. Her son - who is excellent in Science & Maths, enjoys doing papers, good in language (get the point across efficiently but not to the extent of having to write more to impress) find it a struggle. I have another friend whose son is in Year 5 IB now. Good in Maths & Science. English - not a problem at all but just don't enjoy writing to impress. He found it tough going. It is no wonder parents are constantly asking about whether IB is more suitable for the humanities student. The parent think the boy should have taken the A level route.

So we really have to know our kids to help them make the right decision.

[autolycus]

Hi, thimberwolf101!


The real point of the IB curriculum can be understood better by looking at the projected job market of the future. At the moment, you can already see signs of it — there are very few jobs where a person will not benefit greatly from the ability to communicate exactly, meaningfully, and at short notice.

This is especially true of the more value-added jobs in the economy. It isn't all about 'arty' or 'PR' people, but about the ability to make sense out of a broad range of any kind of data or information — business proposals, legal briefs, knowledge construction, research. That's why the IB is designed to teach all the basic kinds of communication at a reasonably high level, not only the kind required to deliver a narrowly-targeted answer.

I've been looking at a broad range of students too — ranging from the govt school I first taught in, to the girls' school and then the boys' school that I later worked at. My students, some now married with school-going kids of their own, have often come to realise that catering to the natural tendencies of a child is only one side of the story; sometimes, you have to try to get them to do what does not come naturally.

Symbolic math is one such skill that isn't natural, and clearly facility with electronic devices can't be either. However, these abilities can be taught based on a foundation of more general skills — symbol/speech processing, visuo-spatial awareness, analogy with physical movement, memory training etc.

The ability to speak (or its foundational skillset) is wired into the human brain — training it is actually easier than doing science/math. Think about that...

I think that the only reason the IB syllabus looks strange to many of us is that we grew up (and are still living) in an era where hardcore math and science are favoured disciplines. So when the IB allows only two sciences, we think it is science-deficient or humanities-favouring.

But that's not true. It's actually the IB which is balanced and the A-levels of our time which were not. That is why in 2002, Tharman made the A-level curriculum move towards a required 'opposing' subject and added other things in — our present A-level system has actually been modified to be more like the IB, because many people who study the future of globalisation think the IB approach is better.

Cheers!

[Mummysingle]

Is acs barker or cairnhill better,?