Child Underperforms Because Tested Above Cognitive Level

[corneyAmber]

KSP:

bebe:

[quote=\"Chenonceau\"]
No... CCA is not compulsory in primary school. However, many parents like to strategise and pick the CCA for their child that will best beef up their portfolio in secondary school and for DSA. Secondary schools don't allow children to choose CCAs by interest alone. Kids are tested and screened and then put into the CCA, such that the school can use the best talent to win prizes.

Hence, you are more likely to get into the CCA of your choice in secondary school if you have been trained since primary school.

I thought CCA is compulsory at least for upper primary? No? CCA at lower primary is more of elective and parents can choose not to go for it.

I thought so too. But just realised dd's school CCA is not compulsory for GEPpers ONLY..... isn't it double standard? :?[/quote]Just to correct a wrong perception... GEPpers have a compulsory CCA already in their curriculum and it is not even by choice.

[KSP]

ksi:

KSP:

[quote=\"bebe\"]
I thought CCA is compulsory at least for upper primary? No? CCA at lower primary is more of elective and parents can choose not to go for it.

I thought so too. But just realised dd's school CCA is not compulsory for GEPpers ONLY..... isn't it double standard? :?

Just to correct a wrong perception... GEPpers have a compulsory CCA already in their curriculum and it is not even by choice.[/quote]
Yes, they have to stay back on some weekdays for some curriculum but definitely not sports or uniform group. The additional curriculum are all academic based. Not sure it is considered as part of CCA.

Perhaps the school does not want to overload these children and make an exception for them since they already have extra workload .

[violin_lover]

Chenonceau:

DS' ex-Kumon teacher told me yesterday that many of her Kumon students stay in the neighbouring 3 and 4 room flats. On average according to her, these people spend $1500 a month on tuition. This is a big chunk of income on kids' education for families who stay in 4-room HDB.


Education in Singapore is not free if you're in mainstream. Classes are 40. Teachers teach more classes each. They have to write their own resources. They have no time for our kids. So, we need to either teach at home... OR we get tutors. The very poor have access to free tuition. The very rich can afford TLL. The GEP get special teaching. The masses in the middle are squeezed.

Sounds familiar? Happens in housing... in healthcare... in unemployment.

:goodpost:

[Chenonceau]

ksi:

Just to correct a wrong perception... GEPpers have a compulsory CCA already in their curriculum and it is not even by choice.

Poor GEP-pers... what if they dun like it? What CCA is compulsory for them anyway?

[Fat Mama]

DD is P6 and she has no CCA since P1. But from P3 she was student leader and from P5 prefect. I dont know if prefect consider a CCA?


I agree with Chen our kids are test above cognitive level.

My DD is a good example. She is clever, focused and attentive. She has no tuition and all along she is doing very well by self study.
From P1 - P4, all subjects above 90. P5 after mid yr exam above 85. I got a wake up call after P5 CA2 for Maths, she got 76.
The last few problem sums were not taught in school and yet tested in CA2. As she had no tuition, she was not exposed to those type of qns. How do the teachers expect the kids to do those qns when they were not even taught.

The teachers assume and EXPECT all kids have tuition at home. Our kids are definitely tested on more than they are taught.

After CA2, we concentrated on difficult problems sums and SA2 she scored 93.

I totally agree with Chen that, if our kids are provided with the right resources and materials, they will excel.

[Chenonceau]

Fat Mama:

DD is P6 and she has no CCA since P1. But from P3 she was student leader and from P5 prefect. I dont know if prefect consider a CCA?


I agree with Chen our kids are test above cognitive level.

My DD is a good example. She is clever, focused and attentive. She has no tuition and all along she is doing very well by self study.
From P1 - P4, all subjects above 90. P5 after mid yr exam above 85. I got a wake up call after P5 CA2 for Maths, she got 76.
The last few problem sums were not taught in school and yet tested in CA2. As she had no tuition, she was not exposed to those type of qns. How do the teachers expect the kids to do those qns when they were not even taught.

The teachers assume and EXPECT all kids have tuition at home. Our kids are definitely tested on more than they are taught.

After CA2, we concentrated on difficult problems sums and SA2 she scored 93.

I totally agree with Chen that, if our kids are provided with the right resources and materials, they will excel.

Oh thank you! Thank you!

[Suz855]

Something to add on tuition, was reading this morning strait time. \"good news for the Toh boys\" their father comment that with the extra cash they could now look out for tuition, art n music class. He said his sons have many interests outside their studies .... Ironically, towards the end of the article, the spending priority is still his boy tuition( \"he now plan to send son2 to tuition n to look at getting son1 into a smaller tuition class, which will cost more that wat he is now paing\")


After reading the article, I feel heartache for the brothers n feel let down by our education system. Honestly if the school teach well, will they be deprive of getting a more enriched n holistic life :sad:

[Chenonceau]

Fat Mama… we had a good laugh last night with DS 'cos we both couldn’t sleep. He told me that on one occasion, he and his friends were comparing the LOWEST mark they ever got. His classmates were all flabbergasted when DS told them that he had ever gotten 64 before in lower primary. He took the prize for getting the lowest mark ever in that group of kids.


Now, he laughs about it. Back then, I think he was miserable.

I thought he was a dumb-dumb. He also thought he was a dumb-dumb. I thought he was so dumb that I didn’t bother to bring him back to Singapore for 2nd round GEP even though he cleared 1st round before we flew off.

In P5, he failed. I sat up. Partly because he failed. Partly because as a psychologist I am sensitive to psychological imprinting. He was starting to develop worrying tendancies of not trying (since he knew he was dumb). So, I decided to disprove that notion (even though secretly, I also thought he was dumb). Dumb or not, in life, we must keep striving. I didn’t want him to say "I’m dumb so I dun have to try." So I said "It’s ok. Mommy oso not smart. You are my son. We both not smart. But Mommy tries. So you must try."

After I took over to source resources for him to read, no one could believe that he was consistently placing top 3 in the class in 3 subjects. He WASN’T dumb. He was just tested beyond what he was taught. And since he had no tuition, there was no one to teach him the extras that was tested but not taught.

[bebe]

Chenonceau:

Sometimes, learning is more effective if you don't bother about it for a while. The CCA allows him to think about things other than academics... and this clears his head. So, when he comes back, he is full of energy and has cleared his head. A few times, we have found that he just can't do something... but when we take time off and come back, it appears so easy.


CCA is important, whether compulsory or not.

I do agree. And it lets the kids to have a chance to mix around with schoolmates from different class/level. So far, my kids do enjoy CCA but they also get tired at the end of the day.

[corneyAmber]

Chenonceau:

ksi:

Just to correct a wrong perception... GEPpers have a compulsory CCA already in their curriculum and it is not even by choice.

Poor GEP-pers... what if they dun like it? What CCA is compulsory for them anyway?

The CCA is a club thingy, not sports or uniform group.