When do polytechnics start their first term of the year?

[suki]

My child has just completed his O levels. Would like to apply for polytechnic after the results are out. When do polytechnics start their first term? also, for those going to JCs, when does the 1st term start and do the jcs still practise pre-admission (ie b4 release of O level results) of students?

[schweppes]

Polytechnics start their term some time mid-April. However, do note that different polys have different start dates.


You can go to the respective polys to check their academic calendar.

[suki]

Thanks, schweppes.

I thought polytechnics have brought forward the starting date of the first term as the O level results are released sometime in mid Jan and the posting results will be made known some time end of Jan. That’s a l o n g break. . . . . .

[schweppes]

For info, polys used to start their academic year in July but this has been brought forward to April. MOE realised that students who were waiting to go to poly had to wait 6 months after \"O\" levels and results. Hence, the decision to start in April. Polys need a certain amount of lead time (after \"O\" results) to prepare for new student intake. The process is similar to the preparation and lead time needed (4 - 5 months) after \"A\" results and before admission/qualification to the local universities.


For students who have decided on the poly route, they usually try to get part-time jobs to make themselves useful or earn extra pocket money. At least they are kept occupied for 3 months (and hopefully out of mischief).

Apart from doing something useful, they also get some work experience, even though it may be a sales or waitering job. Although, students may not realise it, they acquire lifeskills which they can apply when in poly (for example, customer service, communication skills, personal selling, job responsibility...).