Q How does the school
posting system work and what else should I consider in selecting a
secondary school for my son?
A The Education Ministry announced
two years ago that it was reviewing the PSLE scoring system and how
it is used for secondary school admission.
But, for now, the old system applies: Students go to the secondary
school of their choice based on their aggregate score in the
PSLE.
First, students are ranked according to detailed aggregate scores
that extend to decimal points.
The No. 1 student is posted to the school on top of his list of six
choices. Likewise, the second student and so on, until there are no
more vacancies in the school.
Where there are two
or more students with the same rounded aggregate score (yes, scores
are actually rounded to the nearest whole number) vying for the
last place in a school, they will be posted based on their
citizenship. Singaporeans get first dibs, followed by permanent
residents and international students.
The student who fails to get his top choice will be posted to the
next school on his list. If that school is also full, he will be
sent to his third-choice school, and so on.
Where there are two or more students with the same rounded
aggregate score (yes, scores are actually rounded to the nearest
whole number) vying for the last place in a school, they will be
posted based on their citizenship.
Singaporeans get first dibs, followed by permanent residents and
international students.
If there is still a tie, between two Singaporeans for example, the
one with the higher unrounded aggregate score will be posted to the
school first. If the two have the same unrounded aggregate score,
then posting will be determined by a computerised ballot.
Students who fail to get a place in any of their choice of schools
will be posted to one near their home which still has
vacancies.
However, they must have met the school's lowest PSLE aggregate.
Those still without a school will be posted to one in other postal
districts that still has vacancies.
If your son's school has an affiliated secondary school, and he
wants to go there, he must indicate it as his first choice. This
gives him priority to go there. However, it does not guarantee
admission; this is subject to the availability of places.
Some secondary schools may also set extra qualifying criteria for
admission from affiliated schools.
For schools offering both Integrated Programme and O-level tracks,
affiliation priority will be given only for the O-level track.
Some secondary schools offer special schemes such as the music and
art elective programmes. If your child is interested in any of
them, do include schools that offer them.
Q What other
considerations should parents have?
A Distance is important. Time spent
travelling to and from school can be better used to take up sports
or co-curricular activities.
Parents are often torn between a more and a less competitive
school.
Research has shown that students may actually do better in a less
popular - or what researchers term a "less selective" - school.
Research suggests that a student's confidence depends not only on
his own accomplishments, but also on the relative accomplishments
of his classmates and schoolmates. This means students who view
themselves as having low or average ability will get a confidence
booster if they attend an average-performance school.
The reverse is likely to be the case in a high-achieving
school.
Parents should consider carefully their child's strengths and
weaknesses. Does the child thrive in competition or will his
self-esteem be dashed if he goes from being first in class to being
last?
Consider also the sports and co-curricular activities a school
offers as they are crucial to the development of character and soft
skills such as communication and teamwork in children.
In the end, instead of aiming for a top school, parents should pick
one that will help bring out the best in the child, be it in
academic work, sports or the arts.
ST
