okmum:

I am not so sure if A.Maths is a must for JC.


My understanding is that students can always take H1 Maths in JC, if they have not taken A.Maths at O-Levels.

However, the student may subsequently be limited in his choices for uni, especially engineering courses.

Good students are usually given the following options:

a) Double language, double math, triple science and 1 humanities, or

b) Double language, double math, double science and double humanities

Out of all the subjects, the more deterministic subjects are Math and Science. In other words, if you know the subject matters well, you should be able to tell where your standing in O-level is. This is why many students are spending time to excel in the Science and Math concepts so as to guarantee themselves with 4 A's for L1R5 calculation.

As for languages and humanities, they are not as deterministic as Math & Science. At http://singapore.math-chinese-tutor.com, we only hear of stories about students who did well for English/Chinese/Humanities in Prelim but scored only B's at O-level. We hear much less of such story in Science and Math.

For this reason, it is advisable to be diligent in Math and Science. For last 2 years the standard for Math and Science were raised and A1 is not as easy to obtain as before. However, for students taking double-Math, I would say that you are almost guaranteed of A1 for E-Math if you study correctly. You should be able to get A2 for A-Math too if you start doing revision systematically in March/April of your O-level year.

hamsterss:

Hi,im a primary six student + newcomer here :oops:


Please answer my questions below :?:

1.Can anyone give me a example of a timetable for primary six student?

2.My psle target is 240 and the following is my last year result.
Eng - 79
Maths - 78
MT - 82
Sci - 68
Is my target to high?
Ps.i dunno the calculation for psle.Can anyone let me know how? :oops:

3.How to improve my science?! :?:

Thanks alot ! :lol:

If you are attending Catholic School, they will tell you that your score for last year is 232.

If you are attending a top primary school, most likely you can get to 240 or 250 easily as your PSLE results are likely to be better than your school result.

As for time management, there is a thread on time management for PSLE at:

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9105


Wish you all the best for your PSLE ...

kitty2:

He's a hardworking boy,he does alot of assessment and top sch papers too but just that he can't perform well in exams.He failed his P3 SA2

Thanks

Question 1: Why is he asked to \"top sch papers\" if he is not even performing. Is he under pressure to perform?

Question 2: How are the results for his 3 other subjects (English, Chinese and Science)? Are they equally bad?

Question 3: What are the subjects he is having external tutors? Are the tutor professional or freelance?

You should be able to find good pastoral counsellor among the Christian churches, especially those who are affilliate with a primary school. Examples are ACS Barker and Geylang Methodist Primary School.

For Maths, I typically want my P6 student to clear all concepts before June holiday.


June holiday is for the student to keep doing Section A, B and part of C (Total=50%). Make sure the student is able to score 50/50 almost all the time. By end of June holiday, if a student is able to acheive 50/50 consistently, you can be assured that he is quite thorough with his math concepts.

After June is for the student to be familiar with the word problems in the remaining 50%. Usually all schools are also drilling students heavily on word problem after June. It is important to help student cultivate a positive attitude towards this part of the paper. Most students have their math fear to overcome.

One important reminder to all parents: The 2 languages carry more weight than Math and Science. Make sure your child is spending proportionate time on the 2 lanuuages.

Since 2008, many schools are telling their students that the score for A1 is 92%. In other words, you need a total of 165 marks if paper 1 is 80 marks and paper 2 is 100 marks.


At http://singapore.math-chinese-tutor.com, we find this generally true for Maths & Science paper.

A2 is also quite stringent for some subjects. The cutoff is around 80% or higher.

If IP is made the default system, it can definitely integrate well with both JC and Poly.


We should allow students to IP through Poly as well. This will definitely raise the standard of our Polys. Integrating IP with Poly is so much easier as Poly has more than 3 months (Jan to Mar) to do whatever they want to make sure the students are up to the standard before they commence Poly life.

At http://singapore.math-chinese-tutor.com, more than 50% of our students are from neighborhood school. They come to tuition with aspiration and dreams. Some want to go Singapore Poly to do aeronautical engineering and thereafter NUS and finally fly for at least a budget airline. Some had learning problems at childhood but aspire to do sports medicine. Some aspire to do bakery at Temasek Poly and become an entrepreneur, specializing in chocolate food. As parents, if you talk to your children who are in secondary school about their aspiration and ask them if they want to IP-through to their dream-JC or dream-Poly, the answer is likely to be Yes.

By making IP the default system, we are not doing away O-level, N-level ... etc. Students can still opt-out of IP if they feel that they \"are better off on the O-level route”.

Several years ago there was a "William Hung" in American Idol who became famous/infamous overnight. William Hung did not get through the stringent selection process but he demonstrated an Ah-Q spirit that has inspired many Asians, and some non-Asians.


Ritz became famous/infamous due mainly to the non-stringent selection process of Miss Singapore. She demonstrates strong Ah-Q spirit as well but not many Singaporeans are inspired by her.

But I am particularly impressed by her style of making her Ah-Q spirit a publicity magnet. She is constantly on interviews. The latest was on FM93.8. She spoke better English and made some honest remarks about herself, the Ah-Q way.

I sincerely wish her every success in the condom business. Ah-Q is always part of Asian. The original Ah-Q made the famous claim before he was executed: “I shall return …” “過了二十年又是一個……”

Sorry if I have created any misunderstandings.


I am all for IP System. In fact, it is so good a system that it should be made the default system of our Secondary Education.

As far as I know, the present IP System is serving very well for the bright students. I only hear of praises from educators, parents, and students who are under the system.

However, I am seeing the important features of the IP system that is good for more students, irrespective of whether they are bright or not-so-bright. In fact, for the bright students, whether O-level or IP, they will still be on fast track and excel. However, for the not-so-bright student, we should ask what is the best system for them? O-level or IP?

There is no "new system" involved. All present systems are already in place: IP, O-level, N-level … and even IB. The present default system is O-level. Is it not time to switch the default system to IP?

Please do not be confused with 2 things:

1) Our present default system is not N-level. The switch of default system does not involve the N-level system.

2) Overnight switch is not the style of Singapore government. They will start with some pioneering batch and etc. We have to leave that to them to work out the details.

As parents, educators and netizens, when seeing the superiority of an education system, we naturally ask how the system can be of benefit to more students. The IP system has been running for years now and we know it is a superior system. Why not use it more widely instead of keeping it as an exclusive system for few?

2 very important conclusion about present IP system:


1)

mathsparks:

But without the goal of the O levels, would the students be reviewing, internalizing and integrating all their learning?

Under present IP system, some (bright) students do not need O-level as they are able to review, internalize and integrate their learning without O-level.

2)

mathsparks:

And how then would the ministry decide who to go to which JC/poly etc?

Under present IP system, the ministry decides that some (bright) students go straight through into JC and not Poly.

By now it is public knowledge that the present IP system is designed for (bright) students to go straight through into JC as the “goal of O-level” is not working for them.

finder:

Wouldn't preparation also a kind of revision?

If fact, from what I have gathered, those who quit IP system are mainly for 2 reasons: (1) They have decided not to go into the particular JC that they are to IP-through (2) They are disqualified by the school as they are not meeting the standard of the IP system.

While everyone appreciates the good intention of the IP system on the bright students, the question is: can the not-so-bright student be given a similar system that serves another purpose: Give them more time to digest the Secondary syllabus.

To go further on analysis, this system should be an opt-in system. All not-so-bright students can opt for this system and be tested evenly every year, including the Sec-4 year. Those who are not able to meet the standard shall be disqualified and take the O-level system instead. There is no need to fast track for these students. They do not need accelerated teaching and they do not need to learn beyond the O-level. Simply give them sufficient time to study and understand the syllabus and they will excel.