KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

So I am currently thinking of retaking my O levels after 1 year of poly. I am currently pursuing a diploma for design because my math got D7 and there wasn't that many courses for me to choose from. I am not interested in the course at all and for my GPA I only got 2.3. Now I am thinking of retaking my Math so that it will open up more choices for me. Is this the right choice or should I continue my course? Please do share your thoughts with me

Well it depends, how did you fare overall and for the other subjects in O levels? If your D7 becomes a C6, would there be courses which you meet the cut off point AND have an interest in? Also, what course are you interested in?

If you decide to retake your Os for certain subjects, you can only do that next year (2015) which means you will only get the O results in Jan 2016, which also means that you can only reapply to the courses you want for poly admission in Apr 2016. That means, you start again as a 1st year poly student.

If you stay on the current diploma course, I would presume you will be in your 3rd year at poly in Apr 2016. It makes more sense to stay on the current course and work hard to improve on your GPA. The current course may not be your 1st choice application but you can make the best of it and look at the positives of the course. Who knows, you can grow to enjoy what you are learning and doing

On a side note, how does our education system handle students who retake their examinations? Suppose a student did not do well enough to make it to JC, is it possible that he/she stays back a year to retake "O"-levels and try again? Are there any handicap imposed by the system on repeat students, other than the fact that most of their peers would be at least a year ahead of them?

The sad thing is that students who want to retake must do so as a private candidate. They can either study on their own, register with a private school (if not mistaken, MDIS and St Francis Methodist Sch) or go for tuition and then retake the O exams at whichever sch MOE assigns them to when the time comes.

If not mistaken, I doubt students who want to retake their Os can do so at their former sec sch. Find this such a pity. Then again, the sec sch may not have sufficient places and resources to handle these repeat students.

ChiefKiasu wrote:On a side note, how does our education system handle students who retake their examinations? Suppose a student did not do well enough to make it to JC, is it possible that he/she stays back a year to retake "O"-levels and try again? Are there any handicap imposed by the system on repeat students, other than the fact that most of their peers would be at least a year ahead of them?

No handicap imposed. However, you can't just want to retake just because you did not manage to go to JC. You must fail a certain number of subjects to be allowed to retake, otherwise, you would have to do it as a private candidate.

schweppes wrote:The sad thing is that students who want to retake must do so as a private candidate. They can either study on their own, register with a private school (if not mistaken, MDIS and St Francis Methodist Sch) or go for tuition and then retake the O exams at whichever sch MOE assigns them to when the time comes.

If not mistaken, I doubt students who want to retake their Os can do so at their former sec sch. Find this such a pity. Then again, the sec sch may not have sufficient places and resources to handle these repeat students.

They can retake at their former sec sch, just that they have to fail a certain number of subjects in Os. That's why if students feel that they cannot make it for the Os, they will purposely sit for English and write nothing. Then they will get a fail and the school has to allow them to retake.

Same goes for poor JC students, they will sit and fail GP and be allowed to retake. If you fail either english or GP, it is grounds enough to considered having failed the entire O levels/A levels, in other words, it is not a 'full' cert.

Though I feel its not a 'pity' when they are not allowed to retake just so they can perfect their score. If a school has to handle repeat students, less places and resources will go to those who are going at it the first time round. Its not fair because these repeat students already had their chance.

havok_ex wrote:No handicap imposed. However, you can't just want to retake just because you did not manage to go to JC. You must fail a certain number of subjects to be allowed to retake, otherwise, you would have to do it as a private candidate.

Thanks havok_ex for the info.

Actually, I see rulings such as these to be inculcating the "no 2nd chance" culture in our society, which is extremely brutal and could be damaging to any attempt to try to promote an entrepreneurial spirit among our young. I cannot think of any reason why MOE should not offer students who did badly in the major exams a 2nd chance to try it again within the framework of its standard programs. Perhaps it is worried about straining its resources, or that repeat students might be unfairly given subsidized education with respect to other students. Or that there is not enough places in JCs to offer to all these students?

ChiefKiasu wrote:

havok_ex wrote:No handicap imposed. However, you can't just want to retake just because you did not manage to go to JC. You must fail a certain number of subjects to be allowed to retake, otherwise, you would have to do it as a private candidate.

Thanks havok_ex for the info.

Actually, I see rulings such as these to be inculcating the "no 2nd chance" culture in our society, which is extremely brutal and could be damaging to any attempt to try to promote an entrepreneurial spirit among our young. I cannot think of any reason why MOE should not offer students who did badly in the major exams a 2nd chance to try it again within the framework of its standard programs. Perhaps it is worried about straining its resources, or that repeat students might be unfairly given subsidized education with respect to other students. Or that there is not enough places in JCs to offer to all these students?

Well, in my opinion, everyone should have a second chance. But it is quite narrow to think that there is only one path, and one path only. That is Olevel>Alevel>Uni. Second chances should come in play when say you failed or have done badly for A level, the second chance may come in the form of going to poly after flunking your A levels and trying to do better there instead. This form of second chance does exist. Trying to repeat the Os or the As over and over again wont work. Trust me, I actually have an acquaintance who spent 4 years in JC. Not MI, but a regular JC. And at the end of it, she still had bad grades to show for it and could not qualify for local uni. The second chances did nothing for her except waste her time.

On top of that, lots of students are scared to be pushed out of the system per se. The route that I mentioned above is a comfortable and safe one. That is why students would rather repeat ad infinitum within the system rather than taking the risk and doing something else that might reward them better.

Lastly, even if MOE allows students to repeat as many times as they want, the number of intakes the universities can handle will always be relatively constant. This would just result in a huge number of students taking the A-levels at any given year due to the high number of repeaters. Imagine a clogged pipe. Huge number of students sitting for A levels while universities can only take in a certain number. At the end of the day, it changes nothing.

In one JC cohort, I would say about 30% doesnt qualify for local uni. Say you have a cohort of 100. 30 of them dont make it, and they repeat, next batch you have 130 students. Once again, university admission rates dont change, 70 students make it. Now you have 60 repeaters, now your batch of students is 160. And it goes on and on.

Singaporeans have to change their mentality. The problem stems from the mentality that "I need to get into XJC or Y-University" in order to be successful. That's not true. If parents keep enforcing this idea, then nothing will ever change, no matter how many alternative pathways the govt sets up. The different paths are there for a reason, there is more than one way to be successful, you dont have to keep banging on one door to force it open, simply find another door.

havok_ex wrote:Second chances should come in play when say you failed or have done badly for A level, the second chance may come in the form of going to poly after flunking your A levels and trying to do better there instead. This form of second chance does exist. Trying to repeat the Os or the As over and over again wont work.

Are you saying that Polys accept students who fail their A Levels? If yes, do they have to start from Year 1 just like those freshies who just completed their O levels?