Is PSLE so important?

[Vanilla Cake]

caroline3sg:

Vanilla Cake

1.5h travelling time is too long.

Even worse, another roughly 1 h 15 min to travel from DHS to MOELC @ Bishan for 3rd language course.Twice per week.

caroline3sg:

Can citizens go to international schs? Or MOE only say primary level must go mainstream sch, sec level no restriction?

From what I know abt HCI from my cousin's experience. Accordingly to info from HCI's staff, COP 2008 from central S1 posting was 259 for a few students that managed to get in. This means that not all '259' holders are automatically posted to HCI.My suggestion is that u may call or email HCI abt your needs for their clarification in their intake.These independent schools have a wider freedom in their choice of students admitting in their schools IMO.

Imp75:

I read that you have gotten very good PSLE results (congrats!) and definitely one of the brightest kids I have encountered. I wanna ask you and your equivalent peers what's the secret of your academic excellence?

Not really good PSLE results in the eyes of my RGS Mum.Sorry, no offence to all RGS Mums out there. She really pushed us (including my younger sister) due to her personal goal of seeing both of us getting into her alma mater but I let her down.:(

There is no secret at all, it's just perseverance and a bit of good luck.As far as I can remember, both of us do not have any enrichment or tuition since P1. In late June this year, Mum came across a vendor 'touting' her to buy top exam papers from 'top' primary schools. She bought a set of them consisting of English, Chinese, Maths and Science @ $ 55/-.These papers were from year 2007 and later she bought the 2006 papers too. Those 2005 and 2004 papers were printed online via this website :
http://www.wendykoh.com/

I devoted my time doing Maths & Science but didn't pay attention to both languages. In the end, I paid for the ultimate price due to poor performance in PSLE English LC, Chinese Oral and my compo for English & Chinese.That's how I missed by 3 points for my Mum's dream school - RGS. Well, Mum is now hoping my younger sister will excel to fulfill her dream in PSLE 2011.Of course, she may consider enrolling my younger sister who will be in P4 next year for tuition lessons to avoid another bitter disappointment.

[corneyAmber]

caroline3sg:

Vanilla Cake

I would like to know if you happen to know that Hwa Chong International sch accepts normal academic PSLE pupils.

There is nowhere in their website that said so, only mentioned eng & maths test plus interview.

I have a nephew who had 182 in this yr PSLE, eligible for normal academic but I heard from my girl said that his mum registered him in HCI. It belongs to the same Hwa Chong family but I doubt it accepts such low score. If it does, then anybody who has money can send their not so bright kids there and it would 'taint\" its reputation, right? Or is it due to it being an International sch, it can accept low score due to high sch fees (meant for expatriats)?

Can citizens go to international schs? Or MOE only say primary level must go mainstream sch, sec level no restriction?

Don't mixed up Hwa Chong Institution and Hwa Chong International(I was initially confused too). The former is an IP program and it only takes in good results kids. The latter is an international school so the admission criteria is not as stringent and YES for secondary school onwards, CITIZENS can opt to go for international schools as long as you are willing to pay the fees.

[caroline3sg]

ks2me

Thank you for your reply. I understood perfectly. I believe ACS International Sch also operates 'the same way\".


Imp75[quote]I am wondering this is nature or nurture and if combination of both, which one outweighs the other?
Nature - since infancy till now, you do not require much tuition or enrichment.
Nurture - since infancy (ie flashcards/phonics/reading prgms etc) till now, you have undergone numerous enrichment classes/right-brain training program [/quote]In my opinion, it should be both. If have nature but no nurture, there is no direction. On the other hand, if have nurture but no nature, it takes a longer time or limited capacity to excel. I think Vanilla Cake did post on someone mentioned 270+ are bright kids, 260+ are the more hardworking ones, 250+ are the hardworking ones etc.

However, it does not mean all programmes are necessary. We as parents have to choose carefully as nowadays it is easy / good to make money from children related businesses.


Vanilla Cake
Perhaps you could have appealed to RGSS.

[Imp75]

I think my points could have been missed.


What I am trying to say is: so many parents did this and that since infancy (or maybe pre-natal too), how much of the "benefits" have been proven to be true? Are we over-doing it based on the "myth" that these training are good or improve child’s brain devt etc? And the best way to "verify" that fact is to ask the top students if they went through this rigourous route too?

Vanilla Cake - I am veyr impressed that you nvr attended any tuition and yet gotten so good results. Good job, you must have gotten good genes + hard work

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

Yes, I believe in good genes & hard work too.


Vanilla Cake, parents are sometimes hard to understand. You might think that you have let your mum down but you will never know how proud she is of your achievement. Little that you know, she might have discussed your achievement with her friends, colleague or relatives behind your back.

Anyway, it's good to have you here in the forum. So, just to let you know that we are all proud of you too & hope our children grows up to be as matured & clever as you.

[kiasulang]

Imp75:

Hi Vanilla Cake


A bit off-topic....I can't help but feel the need to ask you how did you cope in your primary school.

I read that you have gotten very good PSLE results (congrats!) and definitely one of the brightest kids I have encountered. I wanna ask you and your equivalent peers what's the secret of your academic excellence?

I am wondering this is nature or nurture and if combination of both, which one outweighs the other?
Nature - since infancy till now, you do not require much tuition or enrichment.
Nurture - since infancy (ie flashcards/phonics/reading prgms etc) till now, you have undergone numerous enrichment classes/right-brain training program

Appreciate your thoughts thanks

Hi

I hope you don't mind that I put in my opinion. I believe nature outweighs nurture.

Considering a child who is bright, hardworking and self-discipline(self-study/pay attention/finish schoolwork on time), she is able to perform well with minimal stress. However, if opposite is true, the amount of tuition, enrichment classes and right brain training required in order to achieve the desired result could stress/burn out the child.

Most if not all reputed tuition/enrichment centres require the child to pass their inhouse diagnostic test before accepting them. That's the reason, we said, \"Let Nature Take Its Course\"

[Imp75]

thanks for your opinion.


If it is indeed nature, why are parents nowadays so KS and KC about sending their toddlers to various enrichment at such a young age and discussing about pre-school curriculum for 2 years old here in this forum? I really can’t fathom this.

[kiasulang]

Imp75:

thanks for your opinion.


If it is indeed nature, why are parents nowadays so KS and KC about sending their toddlers to various enrichment at such a young age and discussing about pre-school curriculum for 2 years old here in this forum? I really can't fathom this.

If not by nature, these toddlers who attend classes will initially seem to perform better than the other who do not. As they grow older, especially when they do not perform as expected, they will feel the heat and start to question their abilities. The best way to help the child is through character building. Water will find its level.

[joconde]

My son is now P5. I noticed every year in his report book the sch computes a "Total" score, xxx/300. Does anyone know if this "total" score is calculated using the same PSLE T-score fomula ? If that is the case, it will be an indication of my child’s PSLE ability, right ?

[lizawa]

joconde:

My son is now P5. I noticed every year in his report book the sch computes a \"Total\" score, xxx/300. Does anyone know if this \"total\" score is calculated using the same PSLE T-score fomula ? If that is the case, it will be an indication of my child's PSLE ability, right ?

Hi joconde,

You should check with his teacher. In our school, we have the score out of 400 for 4 subjects (P4 onwards) and out of 300 for 3 subjects (P1 - P3).