Secondary School Selection 2012

[ks2011]

jedamum:

janet_lee88:

i think we should not discredit the kid's abilities just because he/she attended numerous tuition prior to secondary sch. it may just be a mismatch and he/she is more suited for O-level route.

:goodpost: maybe tuitions have become his support system.

[jedamum]

janet_lee88:

jedamum:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"]I fail to understand why an intelligent kid who scored 270+ for PSLE has prob coping with IP. If he still requires tuition at Sec 1, then is this going to go for 6 years? This is scary.

i think we should not discredit the kid's abilities just because he/she attended numerous tuition prior to secondary sch. it may just be a mismatch and he/she is more suited for O-level route.

I don't know much about IP. Is IP very different from O levels? But i know this boy is intelligent.[/quote]i also do not know much about IP, but we like the significant absence of O-level prep and spending more time on some other students towards A-level or other holistic development....if we intepreted it correctly
wrt to the 270+ boy, could be somekind of burntout or different perspective of what he wants now that he is into his teen years. my nephew is no less intelligent...he is infact very well verse in specific topic of interests....topics that some adults may not be even able to sustain conversation/discussion with . but academically need to put in more effort as that is what is demanded now. am sure he will bloom in sec sch with the more varied subjects comb. but he needs to get over this hurdle first. my son...he likes to draw comics..lame jokes kind of comic..(really funny i think, his series that depicts life as a pri schooler). but he needs to get his education first rather than spending time doodling away when he should be finishing his revision! and he tells me he gets inspiration and urge to doodle only inbetween his revision and not so during his free time!

[jtoh]

janet_lee88:

I fail to understand why an intelligent kid who scored 270+ for PSLE has prob coping with IP. If he still requires tuition at Sec 1, then is this going to go for 6 years? This is scary.

Lots of reasons, not just because tuition was his crutch.

- burnout, from studying too hard at PSLE and enjoying his new-found freedom a little too much.
- you can do well at PSLE if you work hard and have a good memory. At secondary school, you're required to analyse, critique, find your own resources, do independent resourcing and learning etc. Students who have been dependent on schools and parents to give them all the necessary resources (in other words spoonfeeding) will have a harder time adjusting.
- the introduction of humanity subjects like history, geography and history takes a bit of adjusting for the more science/math-oriented student.
- teenage rebellion and angst setting in.
- for some students used to being a top dog in their primary school, going to a top secondary school is a shock to their system as they realize they're but merely average or below average in a sea of top students. Some give up trying bec they can no longer be #1.

[janet88]

Could it be because subjects in IP program are more difficult than the O level ? Certain subjects/components for PSLE can be memorised but not for everything.

Those humanity subjects like history, geography may take adjustment as the kids have not encountered them before. Math, Science and English are more difficult.
In short, it’s a whole new world. Boy’s mum regretted taking the IP route.

[Nebbermind]

There are also some kids who just need these enrichment classes (not tuition) to occupy their time. Some of the high performing kids just want to learn everything, n most important, the parents can afford.


One mother ever complained that her kid already in a competitive sports, like national level…n still join another one just coz for the love of it. N in school volunteer to all sorts of activities…very good resume!

[janet88]

Ultimately, the real reason is unknown.

Friend doesn’t reveal much.

[BeContented]

slmkhoo:

janet_lee88:

Could it be because subjects in IP program are more difficult than the O level ? Certain subjects/components for PSLE can be memorised but not for everything.

Those humanity subjects like history, geography may take adjustment as the kids have not encountered them before. Math, Science and English are more difficult.
In short, it's a whole new world. Boy's mum regretted taking the IP route.

It's been a long time since I was in sec school, but even then, 'O' levels couldn't be entirely memorised for if you wanted very good grades. So maybe that child might not have done so well even in the 'O' level track and it's not because of the IP track? I don't know if subjects in the IP tracks are more difficult than 'O' levels - is that true? Even so, if other students are managing, then a child who is intelligent, knows how to learn efficiently (not memorise which is time-consuming) and manages his time well should be able to keep up, even if he isn't the top.

Looking at how some parents' expectation is so different, perhaps it's in the way the parents' define 'cope'?? :evil: As long as not all subjects 'A' is not coping?

[Funz]

My neice is now in Sec 2 in a IP school. Looking at their school work, it appears it is very different from when we were in school. Even subjects like History which in the past mean a lot of memory work is no longer like that. She has to write papers about historical leaders arguing about their strength and weaknesses, etc. More like GP. She was grumbling about how everything also must state, substantiate and justify.


Time management is crucial as there are a fair bit of projects and hands on activities that require group work. And since she is the class chairperson and on the school council, even more activities to handle. A consistant effort is required as there seem to be constant tests going on. Unlike in Pr sch where you can literally just cram for 2 exams and do pretty well.

Along with that, the discovery of a greater level of freedom now that they are in their teens. Start of BGRs. School politics. All these pose a lot of distractions for them. My sis had to play the strict mummy card a few times when neice was in Sec 1 as she was going off track. But being how she is, she managed to pull herself back and maintain a pretty high GPA.

[ks2011]

Funz:

My neice is now in Sec 2 in a IP school. Looking at their school work, it appears it is very different from when we were in school. Even subjects like History which in the past mean a lot of memory work is no longer like that. She has to write papers about historical leaders arguing about their strength and weaknesses, etc. More like GP. She was grumbling about how everything also must state, substantiate and justify.


Time management is crucial as there are a fair bit of projects and hands on activities that require group work. And since she is the class chairperson and on the school council, even more activities to handle. A consistant effort is required as there seem to be constant tests going on. Unlike in Pr sch where you can literally just cram for 2 exams and do pretty well.

Along with that, the discovery of a greater level of freedom now that they are in their teens. Start of BGRs. School politics. All these pose a lot of distractions for them. My sis had to play the strict mummy card a few times when neice was in Sec 1 as she was going off track. But being how she is, she managed to pull herself back and maintain a pretty high GPA.

:goodpost:

True. What I discovered about IP is that you need to be able to research, know how to apply it and be good in teamwork.

The end of year assessment is like those in non-IP schools but the difference is that the number of topics assessed are lesser.

[Chenonceau]

jtoh:

janet_lee88:

I fail to understand why an intelligent kid who scored 270+ for PSLE has prob coping with IP. If he still requires tuition at Sec 1, then is this going to go for 6 years? This is scary.

Lots of reasons, not just because tuition was his crutch.

- burnout, from studying too hard at PSLE and enjoying his new-found freedom a little too much.
- you can do well at PSLE if you work hard and have a good memory. At secondary school, you're required to analyse, critique, find your own resources, do independent resourcing and learning etc. Students who have been dependent on schools and parents to give them all the necessary resources (in other words spoonfeeding) will have a harder time adjusting.
- the introduction of humanity subjects like history, geography and history takes a bit of adjusting for the more science/math-oriented student.
- teenage rebellion and angst setting in.
- for some students used to being a top dog in their primary school, going to a top secondary school is a shock to their system as they realize they're but merely average or below average in a sea of top students. Some give up trying bec they can no longer be #1.

I very much like this post. It is succinct and gives a comprehensive treatment of why high PSLE scorers can do rather badly in IP. I've seen it happen too for all of the reasons given her EXCEPT the transition to history etc... that one, I've not seen (but doesn't mean it doesn't exist). More often than not, those I've seen do badly because of the reason in red.