Second chance for late bloomers
AUG 23, 2004Second chance for late bloomers
Many students from neighbourhood schools are securing places in integrated programmes
By Ho Ai Li and Maria Almenoar
WONG Jia Jun is glad for a second chance.
Two years ago, the Nan Chiau Primary pupil was expected to ace his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), but his aggregate score of 223 was not good enough for him to get into a top school.
'I was a bit nervous and overconfident. I didn't prepare fully for the PSLE,' said the eldest of three boys. 'My mother was telling me every day to revise, but I didn't care.'
Now, the Secondary 2 student at Serangoon Secondary has redeemed himself by qualifying for a place in the integrated programme at the National University of Singapore (NUS) High School Of Mathematics And Science. The four-year programme leads to a diploma issued by the school.
Like Jia Jun, a significant number of students from lesser-known schools are making it to integrated programmes, where they will bypass the O-level examinations and go straight on to do their A levels or the International Baccalaureate.
The head of National Junior College's integrated programme, Mr Brian Ang, estimates that 20 to 30 per cent of the college's first batch of 129 Secondary 3 students in the scheme are from neighbourhood schools like Admiralty Secondary.
The 70 to 80 Secondary 2 students who have a place at NUS High are from more than 25 schools and not just the top ones.
Eight schools are offering what is called the through-train scheme - the three Raffles schools; Hwa Chong Junior College in partnership with Nanyang Girls' High and The Chinese High; National Junior College and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).
Four more - Temasek JC, Victoria JC, Methodist Girls' School (Secondary) and Dunman High - will do so in the next two years.
Last week, ACS (I) an nounced that besides its existing four-year programme, it will also offer a six-year scheme next year leading to an International Baccalaureate, where students join at Secondary 1.
This brings the number of places available in integrated programmes next year to more than 2,500 at Secondary 1 and more than 800 places at Secondary 3.
The prospect of losing their best students to other schools has made others, like St Joseph's Institution and Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus schools, consider having the scheme too.
MGS, which is starting its integrated programme in 2006, is not stopping there. It will unveil an in-house gifted programme for selected Primary 4 and Secondary 1 students next year to stem the loss of bright students.
Having a student make it into one of the integrated programmes is something neighbourhood schools are proud of.
Said Serangoon Secondary principal Dilbagh Singh, who beams when he talks of Jia Jun: 'It gives a boost to students from neighbourhood schools because now they see it's possible to excel and move in a direction they want to.'
He added: 'These programmes give students who are late bloomers a chance to prove themselves at a later stage.'
Principals of other neighbourhood schools said they will encourage their students to try for one of these schemes. Explained Changkat Changi principal Goh Aik Choon: 'It will help them stretch themselves.'
Tampines Secondary principal Neo Teck Watt intends to actively encourage his students to aim for these places, and is also considering helping them prepare for the selection process. 'We just want our students to have the best and encourage them to achieve it if they can,' he said.
As for Jia Jun, he intends to work hard to excel in maths and science at NUS High.
He said: 'I want to be like my father, a physicist, or a marketing manager, like my mum.'
WHERE TO APPLY
SEVERAL schools are admitting Primary 6 pupils ahead of the Primary School Leaving Examination, with Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) the latest to do so. They are:
1) NUS HIGH SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE Six-year course for those good in science and maths. They will also study languages, literature and national education, and graduate with an NUS High diploma and a detailed student portfolio of their test scores as well as achievements in competitions and project work.
Update: More than 120 applications so far for 125 Secondary 1 places. Applications close by Oct 15.
2) RAFFLES GIRLS (SECONDARY), RAFFLES INSTITUTION, RAFFLES JC Secondary 1 entrants will spend their first four years in RGS or RI and, without taking the O levels, go on to RJC for their A levels.
Update: No figure available for number of applications. Admissions close by Sept 7. Open house for Primary 6 and Secondary 2 students on Sept 4.
3) THE CHINESE HIGH, HWA CHONG JC The two have merged to offer a six-year programme culminating in the A levels. The curriculum covers English language and the humanities; Chinese language, values and cultural studies; maths and the sciences; and creative arts and information technology. Nanyang Girls' admits students for the integrated programme only at the Secondary 3 level.
Update: More than 160 applications have been received. A third selection exercise will be held on Oct 22. Applications should be received a week before that.
4) ACS (I) Six-year programme leading up to the International Baccalaureate, which requires youngsters to take six subjects, as well as Theory of Knowledge, a critical thinking course involving all the programme's subjects.
Update: Applications for 100 Secondary 1 places are now open until the middle of next month. Open houses will be held on Sept 3 (for students from affiliated schools) and Sept 4 for others, to find out more about the integrated programme. Results will be known by Oct 18.
Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.
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