MOE to stop publishing names of top students?

[him4mixer]

In conclusion:


‘A’ level system has changed dramatically since our times. The preparation by the non-IP JC students has improved but LINEARLY. The preparation by the IP schools has improved EXPOTENTIALLY.

I hate to say this but this system makes the smart so much smarter that it makes others look ‘stupid’.

[david59]

:goodpost:

Sun_2010:

CayennePepper:

It's a CHOICE. Nobody's making them. Or maybe their parents are?

hmm so what should MOE do? take out a restraining order against the parents? :evil:

Not to make a joke of it, Schools should make clear to the sports DSA students and their parents what could happen when things go wrong. After all, till P6 , the child can quit his sports. But once DSAed thru sports, the child cannot leave the sport CCA and trainings even if he realises he needs more time with his academics or that he cannot manage the both. That kind of binds the child. And that detrimental to his development.

We can say that the school should allow students to withdraw from CCA if they cant cope. But then we would have parents exploit that by making the child first DSA with lots of coaching , and then put up a pretense of unable to cope to escape commitment. Sigh! Sometimes I think humans are too smart for their own good.

:goodpost:

[jtoh]

Sun_2010:

CayennePepper:

It's a CHOICE. Nobody's making them. Or maybe their parents are?

hmm so what should MOE do? take out a restraining order against the parents? :evil:

Not to make a joke of it, Schools should make clear to the sports DSA students and their parents what could happen when things go wrong. After all, till P6 , the child can quit his sports. But once DSAed thru sports, the child cannot leave the sport CCA and trainings even if he realises he needs more time with his academics or that he cannot manage the both. That kind of binds the child. And that detrimental to his development.

We can say that the school should allow students to withdraw from CCA if they cant cope. But then we would have parents exploit that by making the child first DSA with lots of coaching , and then put up a pretense of unable to cope to escape commitment. Sigh! Sometimes I think humans are too smart for their own good.

I believe schools hold briefings for the DSA sports student and his parents before they accept the CO. They're told clearly what is expected of them, academically and in their CCA. But do you think these parents are thinking clearly at that point in time about years of commitment on the part of the child? All they want is to secure a place in a school of their choice.

[sinoboy]

him4mixer:

In conclusion:


‘A’ level system has changed dramatically since our times. The preparation by the non-IP JC students has improved but LINEARLY. The preparation by the IP schools has improved EXPOTENTIALLY.

I hate to say this but this system makes the smart so much smarter that it makes others look ‘stupid’.

Has the number of foreign students (at least in your JC) increased LINEARLY or EXPONENTIALLY in the last few years? What is the percentage of foreign students as a proportion of the total student population?

[atutor2001]

him4mixer:

.....


H2 papers nowadays have literally no recap and recall questions that will favor the hardworking students. Instead the papers are filled with thinking questions where it will favor the thinking students.......

I fully agree on the point in red. I used to boast to my kids that econ and physics are chicken. Kept my mouth shut after they had shown me their questions.

Econ is machiam like GP. Physics requires great understanding of concept and application (e.g. this years question on the current/voltage graph of a diode - it is so simple yet so difficult).

Last time when I heard that thousand over students (about 1200 I think) have gotten straight A's in A level each year, I thought that the level has dropped. I vouched that it has not. A-level is tough and those with straight A's are either very smart or have worked very very very very ...hard.

[Melodies]

him4mixer:

In conclusion:


‘A’ level system has changed dramatically since our times. The preparation by the non-IP JC students has improved but LINEARLY. The preparation by the IP schools has improved EXPOTENTIALLY.

I hate to say this but this system makes the smart so much smarter that it makes others look ‘stupid’.

I was like :yikes: to learn that A level has gone up so high since 2006? Is it necessary to push our a level students to study materials that are equivalent to the master degree level? No wonder the whole nation has resorted to engage tuition n studying all the time and have no time for others? Yet all ministers kept telling us that psle is not be all and end all exam, how not to be? If don't do well in psle ,then have to take o level route n then struggle in a level? why! why? Why? MOE, please give them a life!

I am speechless! :faint: :sad:

[pirate]

him4mixer:

The new ‘A’ level examination started in 2006 with the introduction of H1, H2 and H3 subjects. The papers (not the MTL) btw are NO LONGER set by Cambridge!! Instead the questions are now set by MOE (through XXX branch).


What’s the difference?

Many of us who took the ‘A’ levels in the good ole days could do well just by constantly practice & practice TYS. It worked because many of the questions then were LOT (lower order thinking) like recap and recall. Few questions were on HOT (higher order thinking) like data analysis and application. Those who took ‘S’ paper would work on questions requiring them to synergize and extrapolate the concepts/knowledge learnt.

Unfortunately now this is not so…

H2 papers nowadays have literally no recap and recall questions that will favor the hardworking students. Instead the papers are filled with thinking questions where it will favor the thinking students.

Example: I had no problem finishing 40 MCQ qns within 20 min in the old syllabus and achieve perfect score. However now even if I am to finish the MCQ paper in time (as a capacity as an experienced teacher!), I am not confident to achieve perfect score. Some of the concepts tested in the paper were what I learnt in the university, up to Masters!

Thus the IP schools start to teach these HOT skills real early so that they will be well prepared when they come to us as JC students. Life is never fair but that’s how it works. The smart ones have now a better advantage IF they can benefit from our system.

In other words, our non-IP secondary schools are failing to teach our students the necessary or relevant skills. Thank you very much for that enlightenment. In a nutshell, this looks like a systemic failure to me at the secondary school level. I take back what I said earlier about there being a reasonably level playing field.

Minister Sir, are you reading this?

Now you know why PSLE is so stressful. If your kid does not score tops enough to get into IP, they will have to go to a secondary school that will fail to teach them the required and relevant HOT skills necessary for them to prepare for the A-levels.

[david59]

pirate:

him4mixer:

The new ‘A’ level examination started in 2006 with the introduction of H1, H2 and H3 subjects. The papers (not the MTL) btw are NO LONGER set by Cambridge!! Instead the questions are now set by MOE (through XXX branch).


What’s the difference?

Many of us who took the ‘A’ levels in the good ole days could do well just by constantly practice & practice TYS. It worked because many of the questions then were LOT (lower order thinking) like recap and recall. Few questions were on HOT (higher order thinking) like data analysis and application. Those who took ‘S’ paper would work on questions requiring them to synergize and extrapolate the concepts/knowledge learnt.

Unfortunately now this is not so…

H2 papers nowadays have literally no recap and recall questions that will favor the hardworking students. Instead the papers are filled with thinking questions where it will favor the thinking students.

Example: I had no problem finishing 40 MCQ qns within 20 min in the old syllabus and achieve perfect score. However now even if I am to finish the MCQ paper in time (as a capacity as an experienced teacher!), I am not confident to achieve perfect score. Some of the concepts tested in the paper were what I learnt in the university, up to Masters!

Thus the IP schools start to teach these HOT skills real early so that they will be well prepared when they come to us as JC students. Life is never fair but that’s how it works. The smart ones have now a better advantage IF they can benefit from our system.

In other words, our non-IP secondary schools are failing to teach our students the necessary or relevant skills. Thank you very much for that enlightenment. In a nutshell, this looks like a systemic failure to me at the secondary school level. I take back what I said earlier about there being a reasonably level playing field.

Minister Sir, are you reading this?

Now you know why PSLE is so stressful. If your kid does not score tops enough to get into IP, they will have to go to a secondary school that will fail to teach them the required and relevant HOT skills necessary for them to prepare for the A-levels.

I salute you. :salute: :salute: :salute:

[pirate]

Oh. Until MOE sorts this out, DD is going IP. By hook or by crook, I don’t care.

[CayennePepper]

david59:

CayennePepper:

It's a CHOICE. Nobody's making them. Or maybe their parents are?

Just convince me one good reason why DSA is neccesary that outweighs the bads and I will say no more about DSA. If not, why continue it. Thks.

Ah, but if you're convinced then we would lose the privilege of reading your views! I'm sure many here would miss your opinions on DSA.

But I do want to share, briefly, what I think, though not with the objective of convincing you.
Is your objection predicated on the fact that a successful DSA applicant, who goes on to demonstrate a poor academic fit in an IP school, 'deprives' another candidate of a well-deserved place?

Here's what I think with reference to this group of students, who are presumably sportsmen (no offence to athletes). I've met some young athletes who can balance academics and demanding training schedules admirably, but not many. I'm acquainted with several who juggle school team, national youth squad, and even club training. They seem to be always training... 7 days a week! Owing to their passion and dedication, there is very little time left for studying. Ergo, less than stellar grades.

One of Singapore's brilliant young swimmers was my neighbour many years ago. He was in pri sch then, and I remember his gruelling schedule. At 5am he would already be in the pool, training before going to school. After school he trained past the evening. He spent most of his waking hours at the pool on weekends! I recall asking his mother when he had time for homework and she told me he did his work between his brief breaks at the pool.

I support DSA for kids like these because they deserve a CHANCE. To go to 'top' schools which they may not otherwise be eligible for, with the absence of good grades. I tend to think it's unjust to tell these 12yos, please train hard and win accolades for your school/club/country! but know that you will probably sacrifice your grades and won't be able to enter certain 'elite' schools, IF you so aspire to.
(I'm generalising here, of course there are super kids who can juggle sports and studies successfully.)

We talk about giving chances to late bloomers right? I like the spirit of DSA because it signals that grades ain't everything. It recognises that talents - in many areas - are not less important than PSLE scores!
Its execution, well... that's another matter altogether. :razz:

By the way, DSA is nothing new. It's just a legitimate name. I remember classmates who entered JC with the strength of their CCAs, though they clearly did not have the requisite grades.