More than 83% of students passed five subjects or more
By Pearl Lee And Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
By Pearl Lee And Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
Of the students who took the O-level exams last year, 83.3 per cent scored five passes or more. This surpasses the 82.7 per cent mark set by the 2013 and 2004 cohorts.
Dr Timothy Chan, director of SIM Global Education's academic division, said the better results could be because the education system now places emphasis on both content knowledge and the learning experience.
"Schools have been teaching students how to learn better," he added.
Education policy expert Jason Tan at the National Institute of Education observed that competition at the O levels has not eased despite some students being on the IP track.
"With the IP, some students are guaranteed places in top-end JCs (junior colleges) so the competition is no less intense for those in non-affiliated secondary schools competing for a smaller number of places," he said.
Just like in the last two years, the Ministry of Education did not name the top scorers when it released the results yesterday. Of the 30,964 students who took the exams, 95.9 per cent passed at least three subjects, while 99.9 per cent had at least a single pass.
But some schools celebrated their top performers. Balestier Hill Secondary principal Abdul Harris Sumardi got those who scored six to 15 points to stand while their schoolmates clapped.
But some schools celebrated their top performers. Balestier Hill Secondary principal Abdul Harris Sumardi got those who scored six to 15 points to stand while their schoolmates clapped.
At St Joseph's Institution (SJI), its last full cohort of students to take the O levels did better than their peers last year. All its students attained at least five O-level passes, while 98 per cent qualified for JC admission.
From this year, SJI has students in the O-level and IP routes at every level.
The school highlighted Ian Luke Chan, 17, who scored 11 points for six subjects: distinctions for English, combined humanities, physics, elementary mathematics and additional mathematics, and a B3 for chemistry.
Ian, who lost vision in his right eye at eight as a result of glaucoma, started to lose vision in his left eye in 2013 in Secondary 4 and took a break.
When he resumed Sec 4 last year, he had become completely blind. He studied by using a computer program that read out words on the screen.
For the exams, he had to type out answers for English and the humanities subjects, while an assigned scribe helped to work out sums and equations for the math and science subjects under Ian's verbal instructions.
"I was aiming for below 12 points so that I could qualify for Catholic Junior College," he said.
Juying Secondary in Jurong West scored its best results in 10 years, with 85.7 per cent of its students getting at least five passes.
Tan Siew Fong, 16, is one of Juying's top students. She scored five distinctions. She said: "Some of the teachers stayed back after school to help us with our weaker subjects. They gave me the motivation to work harder even when I felt tired."
Meanwhile, of the 3,949 students from the Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) stream who took one or more O-level subjects last year, 87.9 per cent had at least a single pass.
A total of 2,133 private candidates also took the exams, with 89.5 per cent passing at least one subject.
Post by Heng Swee Keat.
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
Many, however, left with smiles as the school outperformed even some of the more established ones.
A total of 195 Secondary 4 students took the O-level examinations last year, and 93.3 per cent scored five passes or more, better than the national average of 83.3 per cent.
"I am proud of my students," said principal Leong Kok Kee. "For a new school, we have made a good start, but we have to continue building on what we have done well."
The school, which is in Punggol, started with 320 students, in both the Express and Normal streams, in 2011.
"Four years ago, these students began their secondary school education with us and, in the blink of an eye, some are now moving on to pursue greater things, in the ongoing journey to better themselves," Mr Leong said.
As with any new school, Edgefield had to prove itself.
"Any parent will be worried because there are no benchmarks to compare against," said 42-year-old manager Charanjeet Kaur, whose daughter Dashreen scored seven distinctions and one pass.
"But the students have set a high standard, and this is not possible without the hard work of the teachers."
More than 50 parents were present yesterday, many taking leave from work to be with their children.
Stanley Ho, 17, who achieved seven distinctions and a pass, said: "The school may not seem as good compared to others, but the teachers still made the extra effort to help us.
"There wasn't much pressure as we didn't have any seniors to compare with. We just had to do our best."
For some, the road was long and often arduous.
Samuel Lau, 17, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome - a rare disorder in which a person's immune system damages its own nerve cells - when he was 14, and was in a wheelchair for weeks.
He needed four months of treatment, including intense physiotherapy, before he made a full recovery.
"I am thankful to the teachers who specially set aside time to go through the things that I missed," he said. He scored three distinctions and five passes.
His father, Mr Bernard Lau, a 45-year-old real estate agent, said: "There are many challenges that come with Edgefield being a new school, but it has slowly established itself over the years.
"At the end of the day, it is not about whether the school is established or not, but how much effort the students put in."
Good enough for JC, thanks to study buddy
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
Suhail, a student from the Normal (Academic) stream in Balestier Hill Secondary, scored 13 points for six subjects, good enough to go to a junior college.
He had his friend to thank for his good results, he said.
Suhail had entered the school as a Normal (Technical) student with a score of 149 at the PSLE. He transferred to the N(A) stream in Secondary 2 and was later offered additional maths.
"I was contented to be in the N(A) stream, but I didn't feel confident enough to do additional maths," he said.
But with encouragement from Zaydh, he took the subject. "I barely passed my additional maths exam in Sec 3, but Zaydh did well, so he started to be my maths tutor," said Suhail.
Both 17, the pair have been schoolmates since kindergarten and live a 10-minute walk from each other. But it was in secondary school that their friendship strengthened as they studied together after school and on weekends at the National Library.
Zaydh topped the N levels at Balestier Hill Secondary last year and went to Singapore Polytechnic under the polytechnic foundation programme. "I just wanted us to do well together," he said.
In April, they will be in the same school again, as Suhail has decided to pursue an information technology course in Singapore Polytechnic (SP).
"Zaydh has told me a lot about SP," said Suhail, who is the third of five children of a housewife and a businessman.
At Balestier Hill, 84.4 per cent of the Express cohort got at least five O-level passes, higher than the national average.
In the Normal stream, 68.4 per cent of its students had at least five O-level passes, up from last year's 43.2 per cent.
Tough struggle of work and study ends well for teen
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 13 Jan 2015
For three years, the 17-year-old has worked an average of seven hours a day on weekends and school holidays, to help with the family finances.
"I envied other students who could just focus on their studies," said the single child, who lives with her parents and uncle in a three-room flat in Boon Lay.
Despite the tough circumstances, the Secondary 4 student at Juying Secondary School surprised herself yesterday by scoring three distinctions and five passes at last year's O-level examinations.
"It was very tiring. When I returned home after work, I would take a short nap before starting on my revision," said Esther, who spent three to four hours each night revising for eight months leading up to the exams.
"I am satisfied with my results. My teachers sacrificed a lot of their free time to help me, even coming back to school on weekends to revise with me."
Madam Mak Wai Han, her mathematics teacher, said: "She carries a positive mindset with her wherever she goes. Despite her financial situation, she is always very cheerful."
Esther hopes to pursue a business diploma at Singapore Polytechnic. She has been saving up for the tuition fees and will also apply for financial aid.
Her situation had a part to play in her decision to study business.
"I have gained a lot of work experience, it has taught me how to manage my time well."
Teen with autism scores 7 points at O-Level exams
By Amanda Lee, TODAY, 13 Jan 2015
By Amanda Lee, TODAY, 13 Jan 2015
A year later, he was able to transfer to a mainstream primary, and went on to Zhonghua Secondary School, where he did well academically and in his co-circular activity (CCA), despite a bumpy start getting along with his schoolmates.
Today (Jan 12), he was among the 30,964 students who received their O-Level results, achieving an L1R5 score of seven points.
Joel was diagnosed with the condition at the age of two, and his mother, Mdm Karan Tan, was worried he would not be able to cope in a mainstream school and enrolled him in Pathlight. Her fears proved unfounded, when he scored an aggregate of 242 in the Primary School Leaving Examinations at Cedar Primary School.
While ASD can affect individuals in their social interactions, communication and interests, Mdm Tan described Joel’s condition as mild, and save for the occasional outburst — triggered by irritation — he generally gets along well with his peers.
As a staff sergeant in the Boys’ Brigade, he tutored his junior cadets in his free time. “He has learnt to manage his social behaviour,” said Mdm Tan. “(It’s) when he gets irritated with other people by comments and remarks (about him that) he will (have an outburst)”.
The 17-year-old did experience some bullying by his peers in school, where schoolmates would make fun of his condition or the way he spoke, but support from his teachers and school counsellor at Zhonghua Secondary helped him cope.
“My form teachers encourage me whenever I was feeling down or feeling upset and asked me to share my problems,” he said. By Secondary 4, the bullying was minimal, he added.
Mdm Tan, 57, an admin executive, said she found the school’s open communication with her and her husband reassuring. For example, when Joel had an outburst at a CCA fair and the school decided not to nominate him for a CCA award, they made sure to inform her first. “I thought it’s good that they informed me, they didn’t just take him out,” said Mdm Tan.
At Zhonghua, Joel excelled in mathematics and also took music as an O-Level subject — that the school offered the latter as an O-Level subject was one reason his parents picked the school. As Joel had played the piano since age 8, he could play to his strengths with the subject.
Asked his future plans, Joel said he hoped to enter the science stream at Nanyang Junior College, and become a scientist or mathematician in future. He also did not rule out becoming a teacher at his alma mater. “Zhonghua is my second home,” he added.
Last year, 83.3 per cent of students who sat for the O-Level examinations scored five or more passes, beating 2013’s results (82.7 per cent), which had been the highest in a decade.
A total of 3,949 students from the Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) stream sat for one or more subjects. Of this, 87.9 per cent obtained at least one O-Level pass. There were also 2,133 private candidates and 89.5 per cent were awarded certificates.
A total of 3,949 students from the Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) stream sat for one or more subjects. Of this, 87.9 per cent obtained at least one O-Level pass. There were also 2,133 private candidates and 89.5 per cent were awarded certificates.
ITE rolling out more courses at higher level
Rapid transit engineering, interactive design among the new programmes
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 14 Jan 2015
Rapid transit engineering, interactive design among the new programmes
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 14 Jan 2015
RAIL infrastructure enhancements - including the expansion of the rail network and major upgrades to existing lines - have signalled the need for technicians to maintain the train system here.
To meet the growing demand, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) will offer a two-year Higher Nitec course in rapid transit engineering this April. It is one of three new Higher Nitec courses ITE is introducing this year, which can be taken by those who have a related Nitec certificate or who scored at least E8 in three relevant O-level subjects.
"Due to the expansion of the rapid transit system, there is a strong demand for more technical officers to maintain it," said course manager Wong Sheow Leong. "Currently, there is a shortage of skilled individuals."
The pioneer cohort of 40 students will attend classes at the ITE College West in Choa Chu Kang. They will be trained in the maintenance of rail communications equipment, such as train intercoms and closed circuit television cameras, and signalling systems that help trains run more frequently, among others.
In the final semester, students will serve a three-month attachment with rail operators SMRT and SBS Transit, and engineering firms in the rapid transit sector.
Graduates can take on jobs with train operators and engineering firms as technicians and technical officers. They can also pursue polytechnic courses, including a new diploma in engineering systems and management offered by Republic Polytechnic this year.
Mr Syahril Rais, 19, who has applied for the Higher Nitec course, said: "This course is different from the other engineering courses because it is more specific to the rapid transit sector. Singapore is expanding its rail network. I think there will be a lot of opportunities in this line in future."
ITE will also introduce two other two-year Higher Nitec courses this April, on emerging fields such as interactive design, and broadcast and media technology. The additions bring the total number of Higher Nitec courses to 45.
The programme in interactive design will take in 80 students this year, and the broadcast and media technology course, 40 students. Both will be conducted at ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio.
Mr Heng Guan Teck, deputy chief executive officer (academic) of ITE, said: "We have introduced these courses based on industry demand, and to provide aspiring students in these fields with good career prospects and progression pathways."
