KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Hi
My son got his N level result and he couldn't promote to sec 5. He was posted to ITE but he would like to take O level in private school instead next year and go army after that. ( he is 18 years old this year).
Any good private school for providing lessons for full-time O level to recommend?

Thank you.

Hi
My son got his N level result and he couldn't promote to sec 5. He was posted to ITE but he would like to take O level in private school next year(2019) and army after that. ( he is 18 years old this year).
Any good private school for providing lessons for full-time O level to recommend?

Thank you.

wind123 wrote:Hi
My son got his N level result and he couldn't promote to sec 5. He was posted to ITE but he would like to take O level in private school next year(2019) and army after that. ( he is 18 years old this year).
Any good private school for providing lessons for full-time O level to recommend?

Thank you.

Frankly, from what I have seen so far, unless you are only repeating one or two subjects, private schools rarely produce results good enough to serve any purpose. In your son's case, he is sitting for an entire year / exams, it's going to be extremely difficult. It's probably important to ask yourself / your son, what is the intended end game?

If your son is struggling at N level, it is most likely because he is not suitable for the academic route. The O level exams, where he is expected to compete with academically stronger students, will further expose him to his weakness. The 1 year between now and the O level exams is like a 100m sprint, where your son is now starting at the 200m mark. He will have to run twice as hard, twice as fast, but without the guarantee that he will finish ahead of the pack. What's the point of passing but not having a course to choose from? If it's poly he is after, it may be better for him to head to ITE, do well enough in his Higher NITEC and qualify via that route. If he picks an ITE course he is interested in, it will negate any disadvantage he may have academically. Should he decide not to further his studies, the NITEC / Higher NITEC will also serve him better than a N / O level cert.

http://mdiscollege.edu.sg/index.php/pre ... or-o-level

For your consideration. MDIS has been around for donkey years, so I suppose they are doing well as a business. I don’t know about how well their students eventually score for O levels. Fees are not cheap either.

There are plenty of other private schools out there offering O level prep. Just be very careful not to choose those dubious operators with no track record. They may take your money and suddenly shut down. Or promise results but actually they force the students to cheat in the exam. Seen a famous case in the news recently.

https://www.citycollege.edu.sg/pco-1/

Another one for your consideration. Website looks nice and school location is Bugis.

wind123 wrote:Hi
My son got his N level result and he couldn't promote to sec 5. He was posted to ITE but he would like to take O level in private school next year(2019) and army after that. ( he is 18 years old this year).
Any good private school for providing lessons for full-time O level to recommend?

Thank you.

What floppy suggested is very good and should give you plenty of stuff to think about. At this point, you have to evaluate if it is worthwhile to push your kid towards a 'standard' path or a path that is more suited for his temperaments. What your child wants to do may not be aligned with you; we may be able to bring a horse to water but we cannot make him drink. It's hard, but if you can find out what he wants to do and help him accomplish his dreams, I think it is best for him.

my son seldom goes to school for the past few years, hence he was in sec 3 for 3 years, to let him move on, the school decided to let him go sec 4 N this year and hope that he can move on after this.
But I think he went to school less than 10 days this year. He has 6 subjects but he only took 4 papers in N level exam and pass all the 4 subjects. He refuses to go ITE as he doesn't know which field he will in next time. so he prefers to take O level exam and he thinks it will save time also, rather then go through ITE.

Thank you very much for all the advice and suggestion.

wind123 wrote:my son seldom goes to school for the past few years, hence he was in sec 3 for 3 years, to let him move on, the school decided to let him go sec 4 N this year and hope that he can move on after this.
But I think he went to school less than 10 days this year. He has 6 subjects but he only took 4 papers in N level exam and pass all the 4 subjects. He refuses to go ITE as he doesn't know which field he will in next time. so he prefers to take O level exam and he thinks it will save time also, rather then go through ITE.

Sorry to say, reality doesn’t match up.

If he is attending school less than a month a year, what makes you think it’s going to get better once he is in a private school? Normally, it’s the other way round: expect him to attend school less often. Since private schools are profit driven, they aren’t bothered about your physical presence as long as you pay them on time.

Secondly, how is taking O Level exam “saving time”? There’s a difference between passing and doing well, and if you can’t do well, you can’t decide on the field you are in. Heading back to ITE after a year or barely passing O Level cert isn’t exactly “saving time”. Besides, you mention that he hasn’t been attending school for the last 4 years, so instead of starting at the 200m mark, he’s probably a lap down in a 100m sprint.

Since he refuses to go ITE and private school is IMHO not in his best interest currently, my suggestion would be to consider Voluntary Early Enlistment. Hopefully 2 years in the army will sort his head out and for him to man up. He can then decide to either pursue private school or ITE after ORD. A number of my army guys did that (in one of the last true Hokkien Peng battalion) and most turn out well.

Ultimately, it’s up to both of you to decide.

Thank you so much floppy , thanks for your sharing.
I should check with you guys earlier.