PSLE 2012 - Results Discussion
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We should not be bothered the COP much as S1 posting is based on "Merit before Choise".
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Dear Parents,
Congratulation on the achievement rendered by your child for PSLE 2012. For those whom did not make it this time round, do not feel upset, Primary education is just a part of the learning milestone, the journey uphill is still a long way to go. For those whom had excel for this season, be conscientious in your learning journey, it’s a continual effort.
Sidetrack …
for those whom intend to take up Uni study, take up the IP track
for those whom intend to go for the Polys, take up the ‘O’ level track
Learning is part of a milestone in our lifetime, decisions made is of prime consideration
Cheers. All The Best In the S1 Posting. -
Madeline-chua:
Perhaps you can share with us the path you and husband took to reach your success? A lot of parents can learn something from both of you.Hi all,PSLE is just one if the hurdles in life and there are many others you need to progress across as you get older. My nephew like some over here didn't score as he expected. He scored 200 and was so upset as he wasnt able to enter his choice of school.
I comforted him and told him there are many people who didn't do well and yet still went on to university. Take me and my husband for example. I scored only 216 when I took my psle in 1999 and during our time, we were made to choose our schools first before our results were released. I went into my last choice of school. My hubby on the other hand scored below 182 and went to normal academic.
Today I'm a researcher currently taking my Masters degree in NTU while my hubby is doing his PhD in SMU. We both graduated from NTU and NUS respectively with 2nd class honours. -
sinoboy:
The problem is not all students use standard materials. For example older kids taking the PSLE may use more advanced secondary standard English or MT vocab, Maths and Science skills. Most 12 year olds brains are disadvantaged as they may not be matured enough to learn these. Maybe that is why PSLE is under review. :yikes:[/quote]You just hit the nail on the head of the main problem in our education system.
Hmm. Valid point. I feel MOE must come up with standard materials for all the levels across the island.HAPPYH:
[quote=\"Melodies\"]
cherryc, Nanyang had abt 47% of kids who scored above 250 last year. So, to me, this is still consistent with previous year. The question probably is why Nanyang can consistently churn out good results while other schools can't deliver the results? Or Rather, why GEP schools can produce good results but other schools can't? Spill-over materials from GEP classes to the mainstream classes and hence those mainstreamers in Nanyang are benefited?
Why is everyone using more advanced secondary materials to prep their Primary dc for PSLE exam nowadays?
I have seen a P3 kid who were doing the P6 worksheet right after the P3 SA2 papers while still waiting for SA2 results.
Why we are here today?
It is because MOE has implemented GEP scheme and allow them to study a more advanced secondary materials. As a result, Kiasuparents for those non-GEPpers have rush and prep their dc with equitable advanced secondary materials so that their kids will be as competitive and will not loose out.
The standard of the whole nation has gone up tremendously. Whose fault is it? Parents or MOE? The standard of primary level for the whole nation will continue to be high and even higher at an accelerated rate if there is no intervention from MOE. We are heading to an irreversible path now if nothing has been done and our poor dc is spending all the time to study and has no time for other!
MOE would have to ask themselves if it is really necessary to have GEP scheme for this small group of kids and continue to allow them learning a much higher level and stir up the whole nation level indirectly. -
Melodies:
You just hit the nail on the head of the main problem in our education system.
The problem is not all students use standard materials. For example older kids taking the PSLE may use more advanced secondary standard English or MT vocab, Maths and Science skills. Most 12 year olds brains are disadvantaged as they may not be matured enough to learn these. Maybe that is why PSLE is under review. :yikes:sinoboy:
[quote=\"HAPPYH\"]
Hmm. Valid point. I feel MOE must come up with standard materials for all the levels across the island.
Why is everyone using more advanced secondary materials to prep their Primary dc for PSLE exam nowadays?
I have seen a P3 kid who were doing the P6 worksheet right after the P3 SA2 papers while still waiting for SA2 results.
Why we are here today?
It is because MOE has implemented GEP scheme and allow them to study a more advanced secondary materials. As a result, Kiasuparents for those non-GEPpers have rush and prep their dc with equitable advanced secondary materials so that their kids will be as competitive and will not loose out.
The standard of the whole nation has gone up tremendously. Whose fault is it? Parents or MOE? The standard of primary level for the whole nation will continue to be high and even higher at an accelerated rate if there is no intervention from MOE. We are heading to an irreversible path now if nothing has been done and our poor dc is spending all the time to study and has no time for other!
MOE would have to ask themselves if it is really necessary to have GEP scheme for this small group of kids and continue to allow them learning a much higher level and stir up the whole nation level indirectly. [/quote]GEP has been around for ages but it became a problem when top schools pre-select these students using DSA academic, displacing some main streamers from some vacancies.
Adding on to this is the IP programs that stresses parents and kids. You need to get 3 points and below to go into a good JC for 6 subjects at O level. How to do it, I don't know.
But my point about older kids is the those 13 or 14 year old who joined the school system from elsewhere but taking PSLE together with 12 year olds. They are more much matured in thinking and are better at complex problem solving and in most recent years they are the top scorers reported on media.
Best solution is to scrap GEP, IP program and DSA. Then all kids can compete on a true level playing field ... like the old days.
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To name or not to name? (That is not the question)
Posted on Nov 22, 2012 4:26 PM Updated: Nov 22, 2012 10:26 PM
By Hri Kumar Nair
[email protected]
MOE’s decision not to publish the names of top PSLE students and schools was deemed sufficiently important to warrant mention on the front page of the Strait Times. These days, it seems anything to do with PSLE does.
I must admit that the news did not overwhelm me. The move is obviously intended to downplay the importance PSLE. But will it ease the pressure? I doubt it.
Parents, principals and teachers will still consider the PSLE to be a critical, high stakes exam. That will continue to dictate how they approach it, including the pressure they will place on our children to perform and the steps they will take (tuition) to ensure success.
The MOE has said that it will look at PSLE as part of a holistic review of the education system, and that this will take time. This is reasonable. We should avoid making hasty decisions and not lose sight of the larger picture. The real question is what is in the minds of our planners and what do they perceive the issues to be? Discouraging press reports of top performers gives very little insight on what is on the table.
Yes, every school is a good school - but some schools are better.
It is not about facilities – MOE equips all schools with good facilities. It is about the school culture, tradition, teachers and peers. You will not convince anyone that it does not matter which secondary school a child goes to.
While going to a particular school does not guarantee success, every parent wants to give their child the best opportunities possible. That means sending them to a school with the right environment and culture, which challenges students to work harder and do better. Schools with good track records will always attract more applicants.
So long as PSLE determines which school a child goes to, there will always be stiff competition, and therefore stress. This is unavoidable, and not always a bad thing. Our children should learn that getting what they want does not come easily and sometimes, things do not go according to plan. But if they do well, there is nothing wrong with letting the rest of us know about it. Perhaps others will learn and draw inspiration.
The question should therefore be about substance, not form. If it keeps PSLE, MOE should focus on ensuring a system of proper assessment and fair competition for places. There are some things they can do. For example:
Ensure that teachers teach the syllabus properly and thoroughly, so that students are not forced to look to tuition to fill in the gaps. This unbalances the playing field;
Have a robust system which properly assesses principals and teachers, and remove poor performers without delay;
Look seriously into DPM Tharman’s point about how we draw such fine lines in our PSLE scoring system. I remain unconvinced that T-scores properly measure the ability of a student; and
Get rid of direct school admissions for students in the GEP. If they are truly gifted, they can compete with everyone else at the PSLE.
Mr Hri Kumar Nair is an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC -
Very Kiasu Student:
Yes, they use the corhot middle 2/3 to decide yr score. so for eg. the average is 60, the passing point is 60. Tat's what my principle said
Incorrect interpretation.
Scoring more than the middle 2/3 of cohort's score pulls up t-score more than just scoring more than the mean but within the middle 2/3 of the cohort ie. the spread.
In other words for the same raw score and same mean, if the spread of middle 2/3 of the cohort is high then the increase is less than if the the spread is lesser. -
Newspaper:
Get rid of direct school admissions for students in the GEP. If they are truly gifted, they can compete with everyone else at the PSLE.
sinoboy:
Not all are gifted, some got in GEP programme \"hot housed\" by parents, by attending example: MindStretcher, some other Preparatory GEP programme, or the now defunct Aristocare GEP Preparatory programme.
GEP has been around for ages but it became a problem when top schools pre-select these students using DSA academic, displacing some main streamers from some vacancies.
Adding on to this is the IP programs that stresses parents and kids. You need to get 3 points and below to go into a good JC for 6 subjects at O level. How to do it, I don't know.
But my point about older kids is the those 13 or 14 year old who joined the school system from elsewhere but taking PSLE together with 12 year olds. They are more much matured in thinking and are better at complex problem solving and in most recent years they are the top scorers reported on media.
Best solution is to scrap GEP, IP program and DSA. Then all kids can compete on a true level playing field ... like the old days.
There are indeed some who are truly gifted. MOE truly desire to groom these. But maybe too small a number, so to let others \"accompany\" or join them to study together not to make it conspicious, make up to Total 500 pupils each year, by letting P3 cohort take GEP tests.
In fact, only around 25% make it to overseas scholarship, when come to A level.
The GEP kids naturally will score better in PSLE - cos they have special teachers, special care and learn much more than Mainstream pupils.
Yet some fare worse, but govt put it under wrap else look bad on their selection criteria.
Once you are a Gepper - the system already more or less favor the child for DSA system, unless the child really didn’t do well. Once in GEP, already one foot in. Don't need to worry so much about PSLE. The 500 seats/ places in Sec school more or less already reserved for them. It's a matter of slotting each individual GEP child into which Top Secondary school, depending on the individual child's (academic + CCA + leadership role exposure) performance from P4 to P6. Unless they fail, which is close to zero.
I am not sure if MOE has laxed rules recently. (do correct me if i'm wrong)
If a GEP child get 260 in PSLE - GEP child still given scholarship.
i thought 260 (a bit low) shouldn't get MOE scholarship. Need a much more higher score.
(imho) -
Desserts:
My understanding is that the grades are based on the raw scores.Yes, dd also worked very hard, ESP math. Do correct me if i'm wrong. As I observed and analyzed, for dd and her friends, it seemed like math pulled them down. THose who got A in sch exams, got a B, and B became C . Those all along had A distinction said the psle math was no sweat. So if those higher end kids did v well for math, and maybe quite many of them, maybe the bell curve was shifted up. I don't know how true it is.
I'm analyzing this whole thing because I have another child doing this 2 years later. And to see how best to help her and the strategies involved.
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/parliamentary-replies/2010/07/reveal-psle-raw-scores.php
Thus grades are not normalized.
However as you rightly pointed out if there are more A* given in this year, the mean of the cohort will go up and thus the t-score of A's student will come down.
There is a whole discussion around what GEP mean scores and GEP schools could be doing to the overall t-scores as this may have created non-level playing field. -
phtthp:
But... the GEP curriculum is not targeted at preparing for PSLE.
The GEP kids naturally will score better in PSLE - cos they have special teachers, special care and learn much more than Mainstream pupils.
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