MOE to stop publishing names of top students?
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phtthp:
Nope, but affiliated to the JC mah.
does St Andrew offer IP ?jtoh:
Got. ACS, Scgs, sngs, CHS, St. Andrews, mgs... But you have to be cream of the crop to last thru the years to enjoy IP.
One village
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him4mixer:
Him4mixer, I really appreciate your sharing here. Thank you!The new โAโ 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).
Whatโs the difference?
Many of us who took the โAโ 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 โSโ paper would work on questions requiring them to synergize and extrapolate the concepts/knowledge learnt.
Unfortunately now this is not soโฆ
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 thatโs how it works. The smart ones have now a better advantage IF they can benefit from our system.
You have highlighted something critical here. HOT and LOT questions.
In this system, we assume that HOT questions can only be handled by students who are already familiar with and can handle LOT questions. BUT is this REALLY the case? It may sound stupid - if you cannot handle a basic question like 1+1=2, how are you able to handle \"how much more\" question, for instance, right?
There many children who are naturally quiet, more introverted, but a lot goes on inside their heads, more than we are aware of. When dealing with LOT questions, a lot more questions come into their mind but they are unable to articulate that, and slowness in response is often perceived as 'do not understanding' or 'don't know'. Yet, the thoughts goes round and round inside their heads without getting resolved. In the end, they perform badly in the papers. However, as they grow older and improve in their thoughts and ability to communicate, they are able to handle LOT questions and HOT questions. These are often the late bloomers.
Yet, because of the way the children are streamed and graded, they will never get a chance to learn and experience HOT questions until they are done with the 'basics'. Yet, often, it is all these HOT questions that are circling the minds of these children and it is REAL LEARNING that is being stifled here.
Why should children be taught LOT before going to HOT? HOT can be very motivating because they make you think and want to know more. I am not saying students should be given HOT questions before they are given LOT questions - not talking about extremes here. Rather, LOT makes you take in lots and lots of facts and it takes a lot of fun out of learning. You get dried up before you get a taste of the real juice of learning, which is in handling HOT questions.
Please correct me if I am wrong. -
pirate:
Oh. Until MOE sorts this out, DD is going IP. By hook or by crook, I don't care.
As I follow your posts, I see your rationale now. :salute: -
pirate:
Yes, DSA isn't exclusive to Singapore. Top Unis around the world has this.CayennePepper:
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.
On the bright side, if you are an Olympics medal level athlete (preferably in rowing), you can DSA into Oxford or Cambridge. :razz: -
pirate:
On the upside, DD already exhibited HOT at 6 months when we told her \"kai kai\", she looked out the window, saw it was dark and shook her hand to signify \"don't have\". :rotflmao:[/quote] :rotflmao: :rotflmao: Precisely! Prove my point that it you can only handle HOT questions before passing LOT questions is a wrong assumption!david59:
[quote=\"pirate\"]Oh. Until MOE sorts this out, DD is going IP. By hook or by crook, I don't care.
Fortunately my two dds went to Temasek JC before they started IP. Otherwise, I doubt they would have gotten in with 6pts after using their 2 bonus pts now.
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pirate:
Oh. Until MOE sorts this out, DD is going IP. By hook or by crook, I don't care.
Question is will there be a place for your kid at the point your kid finishes PSLE and wants to go to IP. Assuming your is indeed smart but somehow not smart enough and the newcomers takes up the places you think you deserve what would you do?
But of course your kid is in GEP and can DSA directly into the IP school even if you kid doesn't score well in PSLE. If not in GEP, pray hard and hope there is enough places for you now at GEP.
If not in GEP then good luck to you, you go to LOT or NOT then work hard to see if you can beat the HOTties at 'A' level lor.
Go uni you find you have to fight for place with those scholars who post nice photos and call names.
Finish uni already make sure your smart GEP kid remains loyal and come back and serve Singapore ok?
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BeContented:
My answers already posted in my earlier post.
Hi Melodies,Melodies:
CayennePepper
R u willing to give up the few top JCs and settle with second tier JC?
R u willing to support the idea of competing based on PSLE results for top IP schools?
R u willing to support the idea of getting rid of DSA for GEP domains?
R u willing to support that everyone should compete based on the same ground?
ๅทฑๆไธๆฌฒ๏ผๅฟๆฝไบไบบ
On your queries to CayennePepper, I have one more to add on.
- R u willing to give up your DC's affiliation to a good secondary school and compete based on the same ground ie. PSLE score as other non-affiliated students?
From what I understand, affiliated students tend to be given 10-20 advantage points.
IMO, DSA definitely has its purpose. Just look at LimJeck, the Maths Genius. I'm sure glad he DSA and got recognized for his talent.
As for GEP, there are some really good ones and the fact that DSA is not a guaranteed process for them, it goes to show that schools do not accept blindly. GEP kids are just like any other kids....they have ups and downs.
While calling for the scrapping of DSA, would one impose the same standard on their own DC?
Just look around, many die die must go to primary schools with affiliation, and many appealing after PSLE etc.
Going by notion that DSA kids who didn't score the COP should give up.....those who didn't score should not be appealing either. Affiliation should be removed too.
As for the rest of the comments, we have also discussed extensively in the various pages and leading to no way. -
cherryc:
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.pirate:
[quote=\"him4mixer\"]The new โAโ 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).
Whatโs the difference?
Many of us who took the โAโ 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 โSโ paper would work on questions requiring them to synergize and extrapolate the concepts/knowledge learnt.
Unfortunately now this is not soโฆ
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 thatโs how it works. The smart ones have now a better advantage IF they can benefit from our system.
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 think we have more hurdles than we think we have. Anyway, thanks him4mixer for sharing! I just wonder if equipped with all these \"HOT\" skills means that the kids will do very well in university. I am puzzled cos with A levels in UK being \"easier\" than Singapore's , I wonder if it means that Singapore students will excel in UK universities or in other overseas universities. I don't think the level of difficulty (and stress) in other countries' junior or senior schools have shot up as much as ours. And also with all these desirable HOT and other skills and advanced knowledge, do they become better graduates and workers ? I check with some university lecturers , I am surprised to know that some of them are the \"old school\" types so are they able to relate to these HOT skills? In fact, in some faculties, I think the curriculum has not changed as drastically as we have changed our Pri-JC curriculum. Imagine learning advanced level of Physics up to tertiary/master degrees standard at A levels, then seriously go university to learn what ?[/quote]Ironically, our A level students have no advantage over those from other countries who learned LOT when come to the admission selection for those oversea universities though they have scored A in HOT questions which are equivalent to deg/master level! :slapshead: -
Melodies:
:scared: Eye-opener..
Ironically, our A level students have no advantage over those from other countries who learned LOT when come to the admission selection for those oversea universities though they have scored A in HOT questions which are equivalent to deg/master level! :slapshead: -
In short,
Learning HOT skills in GEP program versus learning LOT/NOT skills in mainstreams
Geppers handle PSLE exams better than mainstreamers as there are some HOT questions in PSLE papers. As such, majority of students who have scored 270 and above in NYPS are GEPpers! Spilled-over of HOT materials from GEP to mainstreams does help mainstreams to do well in PSLE. As a result, about 47% P6 pupils in NYPS scored 250 and above.
Learning HOT skills in IP program versus learning LOT/NOT skills in O level
IP students are well trained with HOT skills and hence they are well prepared for A level as compared to their counterparts in non-IP schools. In A level, some of the concepts tested in the papers are equivalent to those in university, and even up in Masters! Students from non-IP schools would have to prepare to take some set back and do catch-up works in order to stand head-to-toe with the IP students as for now.
However, the preparation by the non-IP JC students has improved but LINEARLY. The preparation by the IP schools has improved EXPOTENTIALLY. With the differences in improving rates, are the non-IP JC students able to compete head-to-toes with IP students eventually ? Yet to be witnessed!
Hmmm...........What type of era we are generating now? :yikes:
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