tppsue:

Hi Everyone,


We just came back from overseas due to my husband posting and not aware of the changes in the Singapore's education system. Can anyone explain what is the difference between the traditional \"O\" level stream and IP programme offered by schools like ACS, RI etc. Which is better?

MandyMummy:

Besides the schools listed by jtoh, you may also wish to consider St Nicholas Girls School. I don't know about the other schools, but St Nic seems to value-add quite a bit from the feedback of my 2 friends who have dd there.

jtoh:

VitoRelax, you're back!


Back to topic.

Miss Bean, 255+2 can get you into a number of good schools such as SCGS, MGS, RV, NHHS. If you prefer a SAP school, opt for RV or possibly DHS because 255+2 is only a few points off the DHS COP. If you prefer non-SAP, go for MGS or SCGS.

But if I read your post correctly, you said your dd has no A*? If that's the case I don't think that her score would be 255 based on PSLE computations.

verykiasu2010:

wow, you came out from hiding / hibernation ? looong time no see!

VitoRelax:

Apek old, very old oredi lah ...


Okay NHHS also qualify lah if get 255+2 ....

Maid:

Apek, NHHS is Nan Hua High School lah!

VitoRelax:

I dunno where is NHHS ?


Cheers

Miss Bean:

Hi


Based the premli result ,I have computed x 3 divided by 4 an estimate \"T score\" for my girl as 255 . Can anyone tell me how close is this computation as compare to the actual result?

As a parent, if happens that the actual result is 255(no A*) + 2(HMT), which school should you consider? NHHS, SCGS or RV?

Note- Her MT only score 84.
Thanks

SUPERLADY:

HI,

Is sji starting the ip curriculum next year that is 2012 ?

WeiHan:

zeemimi:

[quote=\"WeiHan\"]Cedar girl's school's COP has risen 10 points over the last decade. I wonder any of you have noticed that. What is the reason for the rise? I have my reasons and answers to that but I'll hear from all of you first.

cedar has taken steps to retain their academically abled girls so that they do not lose their girls to IP after sec 2. Going IP has certainly pushed up their COP last year. i would say the shift back to the new premises plays a part too.

zeemimi:

WeiHan:

Cedar girl's school's COP has risen 10 points over the last decade. I wonder any of you have noticed that. What is the reason for the rise? I have my reasons and answers to that but I'll hear from all of you first.

cedar has taken steps to retain their academically abled girls so that they do not lose their girls to IP after sec 2. Going IP has certainly pushed up their COP last year. i would say the shift back to the new premises plays a part too.

WeiHan:

Cedar girl's school's COP has risen 10 points over the last decade. I wonder any of you have noticed that. What is the reason for the rise? I have my reasons and answers to that but I'll hear from all of you first.

Brenda10:

SUPERLADY:

HI,

Is sji starting the ip curriculum next year that is 2012 ?

If I'm not wrong, Ceder and Victoria will be started next year and the other 5 schools will be 2013.

SUPERLADY:

HI,

Is sji starting the ip curriculum next year that is 2012 ?

WeiHan:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"WeiHan\"]
Do you feel that this form of education adds value? I think this is the key point.

I offered to switch her out in Sec 1. I thought she could not cope. She insisted to stay and she had great fun. That's important too.

Chenonceau:

WeiHan:

Do you feel that this form of education adds value? I think this is the key point.

I offered to switch her out in Sec 1. I thought she could not cope. She insisted to stay and she had great fun. That's important too.

WeiHan:

Do you feel that this form of education adds value? I think this is the key point.

Chenonceau:

Teehee... We don't live in an ideal world. Competition is keen in the top schools in every aspect. Teacher performance is ranked. School performance is ranked. Academic results are ranked. Size of donations matter. Sports medals are collected and displayed. I am under no illusion that the school has my daughter's interests at heart 100% of the time.


There are teachers who wanna log in an achievement. In this case, it would have been a nice feather in the cap for a new teacher. There was also the issue of donations. The school did not wanna offend the bullying parent because she brought in lotsa donation dollars. In the end, it was my little Sec 1 against the selfish agendas of 2 others. The Principal cannot oversee everything with 6 Sigma results.

Where my daughter has benefitted, it was when the teacher's and the school's agendas overlap and are coherent. Where they do not overlap, it is up to me to look out for my cub.

I remember a few make-up classes but insufficient... and really, to do well... you depend on yourself. You catch up. You get notes from your friends. You plan your project commitments by doing your part early, so that you can miss project meetings when you have to train everyday. The girls are SUPPOSED to be all rounded sports girls and top students. Every one has a heavy CCA, not just the DSA girls. If you can't manage CCA AND studies, then a slower pace in another school is probably better because the school cannot slow down for you.

My daughter DSA-ed into her school. We were asked to sign a commitment to train as necessary and to stay with the CCA for 4 years. CCA achievement is an important part of a top school experience. Not even I expected her to rank in the top 3 places of her class in Sec 1 and Sec 2. It is thus possible to be academically top in IP even if you DSA. However, parents need to be vigilant, supportive and very loving.

The child also needs to be very driven.

I was jumping up and down when The Daughter off-handedly told me she had to stay back to get her prize for being 2nd in class. She looked at me and said \"Mom, that's nothing. Other people get top in level AND they have TWO heavy CCAs.\" And she wouldn't let me go to her prize-giving because \"Mom, it's no big deal. Waste time.\"

Achievements are a dime a dozen in a top school. Everyone you know is good at CCA AND studies. So just because you DSA in, no one will think you need special treatment for handicapped students. You cope or you go somewhere else with a slower pace. My daughter ended in hospital with pneumonia one year. Her best friend who was Vice Head Prefect (or VP of Student Council) fainted in her home toilet before school one day. For some stretches, both girls sleep 3 hours a night only. Her best friend's mom is a housewife who speaks only Chinese and is a non-grad. She sat in the General Office on more than one occasion to protest that her daughter was overworked. She was very brave because the Principal was someone very educated (scholar and everything).

The school's job is to give the children opportunity after opportunity. There are countless opportunities for development. It is up to the parents to help their children focus and manage health, time, energy. You basically get a lot of choices about what you wanna be good at and the girls wanna be good at EVERYTHING. So as parents (even if not educated), we need to watch and help to balance.

The school provides the stimulation. It is up to parents to decide if too much is too much and dialogue with the school. This can be daunting especially when the teachers are themselves very educated and your child goes to school with kids of famous personalities. However, parents who do their part and dialogue with the school, can help their children shine.

In essence, the school won't give you special treatment and I am glad it did not. It taught my daughter self-reliance and all that stretching gave her confidence, and allowed us all to understand that she could do and endure more than we ever expected. In 4 years, I only intervened 3 times to balance the demands. Each time, it was with a clear realization that this is her limit and if she is not all the way at the top, I don't care... because one mountain has another mountain higher.