Here’s the 2010 edition of our annual Kiasu Analysis of PSLE results.

Finding #1 – Top Honors

Without a doubt, 2010 is likely to be etched in the annals’ of Rosyth‘s history as the Year-When-We-First-Believed.   For not only did Alex Tan grab top honors for the school with his red hot T-score of 282, two other of his peers from Rosyth entered the national top 10 list too.  With this feat, Rosyth moved up 2 places from 5th position to be amongst the Big Three schools in KiasuParents.com’s academic power rankings.

Finding #2 – The Battle of the Sexes
 

And 2010 is going the remembered by me as the Year-When-I’m-Finally-Relieved that there is hope yet for our underperforming male sex.  After an uncomfortable absence of 4 years, the crown is finally worn by a human with that extra Y chromosome.  Thank you, Alex, for restoring some digity for the male species.

The ratio of males to females in the top 10 has also improved to 7:10.  Yeah, yeah, I know the girls are still kicking our b*tts, but it’s easy to be happy with any improvement when things were as bad as 6:11 last year.

Finding #3 – Top Dog

The venerable Nanyang Primary has come back strong this year, sending 2 more students to the top 10 list, as it has done an unprecedented 10 out of 11 times since 2000, thereby retaining its well-deserved crown as top dog in our KiasuParents.com’s power rankings.  The girls of NYPS’ greatest challenger, Raffles Girls’ Primary, have kept pace by sending one of their own to the coveted list.  In fact, 6 out of the top 7 schools have students in the top 10 list, proving that their top-student-producing engines are still purring along quite well.

Pei Hwa Presbyterian deserves an honorable mention this year.  Not only has it consistently produced super-scalers (students scoring >275) in 9 out of the last 10 years; it sent 2 students to the top 10 list this year.  A fantastic feat for a most respectable school.

Finding #4 – Absentees from the Party
 

The most noticeable absentee from this year’s > 275 super-scale list is undoubtedly Catholic High.  This is the first time since 2003 that CHS did not have any student scoring above 275.  Do I hear parents doing PV in preparation for next year’s P1 registration heaving a massive sigh of relief?  It was said that getting into CHS in Phase 2B is as difficult as getting that Sentosa Cove sticker for Micky D’s Monopoly game.  And getting into CHS in Phase 2C is about as difficult as getting the real deal in Sentosa Cove.

Methodist Girls’, Ai Tong, and Bukit Panjang also came up empty this year.  This is highly uncharacteristic of these schools, given that they have always produced a super-scale scholar for the last 4 to 5 years.  I’m sure this is just a minor hiccup and I fully expect these schools to come roaring back next year.

Chongfu Primary has been barren in the last 2 years, after having consistently produced super-scalers from 2002-2008.  Hopefully they can reverse this mini-trend next year.

Finding #5 – First Timers
 

The schools that entered the >275 honor list for the first time since 2000 (or forever) are:

• CHIJ (Katong)
• Coral Primary 

I could hardly call a convent school a neighourhood school, so that leaves Coral Primary as the biggest surprise sprung by a neighbourhood school this year.  Let’s hope that both schools will continue their stellar performance and send more kids to the super-scale list in the years to come!

Finding #6 – Sure anot?

After the bumper crop of super-scale scorers last year, this years’ performance of our friendly neighourhood institutions is luke-warm, at best.  Well, I suppose the stats have to catch up with reality at some point.

Keming Primary – This is the other big surprise in this year’s PSLE.  For the 2nd time in 3 years, Keming has produced a super-scaler.  Will it become a real contender in the years to come?

Casuarina Primary – Casuarina has also quietly made its mark with 2 super-scalers in 3 years. This is definitely one neighbourhood school that is worth watching in the next few years.

St Joseph’s Institution Junior – Like Keming, SJI has produced super-scalers twice in the last 3 years, after having been barren for years.  Could this be the beginning of the return to glory of one of Singapore’s oldest schools?

Pei Chun Public – This school has strung together a pretty decent run in the last 4 years, making up for the barren years between 2002 and 2005.

Nan Chiau Primary – NCPS has been even more consistent than Pei Chun, producing super-scalers each year since 2007.  Yes, Nan Chiau has definitely shed its "neighbourhood" school status, competing in its own right with the top tier schools in Singapore!

Finding #7 – Relegation List
 

The following list of schools are in danger of becoming one-hit wonders, with 4 or more years having passed since their last (and only) admittance into the honor list.  Let’s hope the kids in these schools will do their schools proud by working hard and doing well in PSLE 2011!

• Tampines Primary
• Anderson Primary
• Jing Shan Primary
• Telok Kurau Primary
• Chongzheng Primary
• St Anthony’s Canossian Primary
• West View Primary
• Seng Kang Primary
• Ang Mo Kio Primary
• Dazhong Primary
• Farrer Park Primary
• Jurong West Primary
• Mayflower Primary
• Montfort Junior
• Opera Estate Primary
• Teck Whye Primary
• Yuhua Primary
• Guangyang Primary
• Jiemin Primary

Want to chat with other parents about the PSLE? Join the conversation on the KiasuParents forum!