Is PSLE so important?

[SAHM_TAN]

wonderm:

SAHM_TAN:

Just to add, for me the various academic competitions are not part of what I view as primary school education.


For me those are extras for parents and kids who wish to develop themselves further in particular niche and to achieve certain objectives.

Ideally that is the case. But with DSA in mind, many parents are preparing their children from young for all kinds of academic and non-academic competitions. This is to beef up their portfolio and increase their chance of success during DSA. It is becoming a part of the primary school education. I am not saying it is a good or bad thing. I guess there is no simple answer. It really depends on the child and how the parents and the entire education system help to strike a balance somewhere.

I saw the news on TV recently, Beijing has announced the ban of using Maths Olympiad results for the purpose of Sec school entry. It was because the MO training has been too widespread and giving too much stress to the young kids and their parents.

Just to share. It was one of the reason why I asked the question earlier. Of course, we don't have the same situation as Beijing and even over there, it is still being debated whether it is the right thing to do.

Errrrr, I also don't think DSA is a must becos there's PSLE

I mean if the child has a particular talent in academic or sports or arts and the dream school is able to nurture the child to greater heights then try lor.

[ngl2010]

My son will be P6 next year. Prior to this year, he only has Chinese tuition once a week because we do not speak Chinese at all at home. This year we added English tuition and Science tuition just because his results dropped from 90+ to 80+. How not to feel stress when getting to good secondary school is already hard enough but now there is IP and IP cut-off point is higher than O Level?


Why create another level of elitism?

If IP cut-off point is the same as for O level, wouldn’t it be less stressful for parents and the kids?

[wonderm]

SAHM_TAN:

Errrrr, I also don't think DSA is a must becos there's PSLE

I mean if the child has a particular talent in academic or sports or arts and the dream school is able to nurture the child to greater heights then try lor.

With your objective thinking and level-headedness, you and your DC won't be too stressed. No wonder you said not announcing top scorers won't matter in terms of stress level. I am with you. :hugs:

[SAHM_TAN]

wonderm:

SAHM_TAN:

Errrrr, I also don't think DSA is a must becos there's PSLE

I mean if the child has a particular talent in academic or sports or arts and the dream school is able to nurture the child to greater heights then try lor.

With your objective thinking and level-headedness, you and your DC won't be too stressed. No wonder you said not announcing top scorers won't matter in terms of stress level. I am with you. :hugs:

I will still worry lah

And I also have my plans for the kiddos

[SAHM_TAN]

ngl2010:

My son will be P6 next year. Prior to this year, he only has Chinese tuition once a week because we do not speak Chinese at all at home. This year we added English tuition and Science tuition just because his results dropped from 90+ to 80+. How not to feel stress when getting to good secondary school is already hard enough but now there is IP and IP cut-off point is higher than O Level?


Why create another level of elitism?

If IP cut-off point is the same as for O level, wouldn't it be less stressful for parents and the kids?

IP is designed for kids who will definitely progress to Uni. Whether this is the right way to go, I will not comment. The depth and breath of materials covered is different from O levels.

Like during my time, there were pre-u (3 yrs to A levels exam) and JC (2 yrs to A level exams) Just treat IP as the new JCs and O level as the new pre-u, you will feel less stressful abt the whole situation.

I don't think every child who has the ability to progress to Uni education is suitable for IP.

All the best to your child in the next yr's PSLE.

[SAHM_TAN]

Just to add. I don't think another level of elitism has been created becos of IP. Just see it as rebranding :rotflmao:


For schools that offered just IP, those already very tough to get in previously, the difficulty level has not increased really. As for schools that offered both IP and O level just view it as super express lor :rotflmao:

The rest of the schools have express, NA and NT streams. Do the kids from express stream feel they are the elites?

[janet88]

wonderm:

SAHM_TAN:

I mean if the child has a particular talent in academic or sports or arts and the dream school is able to nurture the child to greater heights then try lor.

With your objective thinking and level-headedness, you and your DC won't be too stressed. No wonder you said not announcing top scorers won't matter in terms of stress level. I am with you. :hugs:

If the child is talented and the school will nurture him/her, go for DSA or IP.

[janet88]

ngl2010:

My son will be P6 next year. Prior to this year, he only has Chinese tuition once a week because we do not speak Chinese at all at home. This year we added English tuition and Science tuition just because his results dropped from 90+ to 80+.

My son had Chinese tuition since P1 bcos we hardly speak Chinese and I don't know how to coach him. He had Math tuition since P5 last year bcos he flunked and hubby doesn't know how to coach. For Science, he is only in the 60s range in P5...can't go beyond 70 until we engaged a tutor and scored 70 for prelims.

Hubby and I know our boy is not IP or DSA calibre...if he can get 240-245 for PSLE (and we will know tomorrow), we are contended...honestly. Son already told us that this year's exams are challenging. We saw how hard he had worked this year and that is an achievement. A mummy here mentioned 'paper luck'...hard work aside, I believe there is indeed this thing called luck.

[janet88]

I never knew that DSA can be used for academic too :razz: always thought it is for sports excellence.

DSA confirmation is known only on same day of PSLE results right? I thought I read something like that in the sec school listing. If cream of the crop takes IP route, it will help the overall cohort by not driving up the COP of sec schools.
I support this wholeheartedly.

Son finished PSLE and I don't know know details of this IP/IB thing... :oops:

[SAHM_TAN]

Just to make a clarification. I was alerted that my using of PreU and JC was not appropriate becos of the time frame. Yes, it would be misleading for parents who do not know abt IP.


Time wise would be the same duration for A levels. As in, by the 6th yr, kids in the IP will be taking their A level similar to kids with 4 yrs in O level and those who decide to go with A level will also take it in their 2nd yr in the JC or the 6th yr in IP school.