Gisten\" post_id=\"1148730\" time=\"1384853755\" user_id=\"100023:
Just to share, my DD also transferred school in Sec 2 this year. Her PSLE result too was way much lower than her usual school standard. Being in the school's top class since P3, all of us including her teachers were expecting a 240+, but she shocked everyone with only a 210. Thus she was posted to a neighborhood school which is just within walking distance, but we had never ever considered it in the past years. Well, she also did very well in school, being the big fish in a small pond. However, she was not happy at all in that school as the teachers were not exactly very motivating and her classmates were not exactly very keen in learning either. She behaved very much like a walking dead everyday, and she had no sense of belonging there. So I was very determined to transfer her out, as I feel that the poor learning environment would greatly affect her. Once the report book was released, I immediately appealed to a few schools with COP ranged from 220-245. I was either rejected flat on the face, saying that her PSLE score was too low from their COP and that my DD may not be able to cope, or I totally didn't hear from the schools. The good news from one of the few appealed schools only came in on the last week of Term 1 this year. Without hesitation, I did all the paper work and bought all the uniforms and books within a day, and my DD reported to her new school on the very next day.
Another main reason for the transfer is that the Sec 3 subject combinations being offered in DD's former school are very limited. The former school does not offer 8-subject combination as the principal does not think that the pupils can cope with it. The school only offers 7-subject and 6-subject combination, mainly with Combined Science for its Express cohort. As a parent, I think the subject combinations being offered by the school is very important as it determines what courses to take in next higher level of learning. DD hopes to study JC and has always wanted to do a Triple Science or Double Science+Double Humanities combination with Literature, which is not possible in that former school. Right now, DD is assigned to her dream subject combination, and she gets to study pure Literature and elective History in Sec 3.
We never regretted the decision though DD has to wake up much earlier and spends longer time on traveling, familiarizing with new environment and people, has to work her butt out in bridging the gap between the two schools' standard, and also forfeited her Sec 1 CCA points. DD is very much happier now as the teachers and pupils are much more motivated towards teaching/learning. She adapts well to the new school and has a strong sense of belonging. She is also being exposed to many leadership courses, which her former school didn't offer at all.
If you are really keen in transferring, do start it earlier and to a few schools too, before the schools are busy entertaining parents after PSLE result release and school posting, or the school principals are going on leave. These were my personal experiences. On one case shortly after the release of PSLE result, I was stopped from entering one of the appealed schools by the security officer as instruction was given to them not to allow parents who wanted to do Sec 1 appeal to enter school as the general office had received overwhelming response from parents wanting to appeal. Despite I tried explaining that I wasn't appealing for Sec 1 but for Sec 2 and had spoken to one of the staffs on phone, I was still not allowed to enter. After good 20 min or so , the security officer managed to locate that staff whom I had spoken to earlier, and was then allowed entry. I went down to school personally because they claimed that they didn't receive my appeal form together with copies of supporting document which I had mailed out 2 weeks ago. The other case was the school vice principal called to inform that they had received my appeal letter but due to principal was on leave, they could only revert to me on the following week. However one month had passed and nothing was heard since last conversion with the VP. When I emailed the VP to check on my appeal status, then he told me that they had been busy with the release of N level result and Sec 1 school posting, as such it was his oversight to inform me that my appeal was unsuccessful! :mad:
Hi Gisten, thanks for sharing. I am a new member here and I have similar situation. My son's PSLE result is 202 and was posted to express class in a school that wasn't in our choice. I wasn't aware that my son is not eligible for Normal Academic if his course eligibility is Express. I also made a mistake by putting his affiliated school as 2nd choice, overlooked that he will not be eligible for affiliated COP. I have appealed to the desired school and MOE, hoping for miracle :xedfingers: Thus my question is if appeal failed, do I let my son continue at the posted school then transfer him to another school for Sec 2? And what are the things that I should look into (e.g. Sec 1 results, CCA points, etc?)
