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Express or Normal Academic

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:48 am
by prancingpony
Need advice please. A friend's dd got 194. She had C for Maths/English and B for Science. She's hardworking though and has a good attitude. She doesn't know where she should go and I am not sure what to tell her. Would it be better to go to a "good" normal academic school? What would her chances be of getting in? On what criteria would a school take in a student for NA when they are also eligible for express in other schools?

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 2:36 pm
by mahes_gopal
My son too got 195 and was in dilemma whether to choose NA or express. After talking to his current school counsellor and teachers from the secondary school we opted. We decided for NA. Reasons:
1) Slower pace better understanding of subject contend
2) More time for better performance in CCA IMpt for tertiery education.
3) More routes for NA students who do well - transfer to express end of sec 1 or 2, direct admission to poly foundation year after n'levels if results are good, or bypass n'levels to direct o'levels in sec 5.
4) Top NA class or school compared to bottom express class or school.
5) Attitude wise I think good and bad attitude exists everywhere in express or normal it is up to the kid to chose friends wisely and focus on his or she goals in the future.
Hope this helps. all the best PSLE is only the first hurdle many pupils who did not do well in PSle ended up doing better later in life.

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 4:40 pm
by caroline3sg
Hope my advise is not too late.

194/195 T score can go to very good sch NA course. If you are staying in the West/North, some of these schs are:

1) Bukit Panjang Govt High
2) St. Margaret's
3) Yishun Town

These 3 schs have awards /value added in their NA programmes.

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 4:42 pm
by verykiasu2010
this is a situation of borderline case between normal and express.

to enter express, choice of school is limited

to enter normal acad, good schools abound and the child will likely to excel in the normal course and will gain confidence -- hence there is possibility of transfer to express in the sec 2 year

think positive

good environment is better than express stream in a school that you go as a last resort

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:07 pm
by ApronMama
宁为鸡口,勿为牛后 ?

Re: Express or Normal Academic

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:43 pm
by ycpang
prancingpony wrote:Need advice please. A friend's dd got 194. She had C for Maths/English and B for Science. She's hardworking though and has a good attitude. She doesn't know where she should go and I am not sure what to tell her. Would it be better to go to a "good" normal academic school? What would her chances be of getting in? On what criteria would a school take in a student for NA when they are also eligible for express in other schools?
My advice is to go Express. My DW was in the same situation many, many years back. She chose to go express. Later she did well in "O" levels, went to a good JC, got a scholarship after A levels to study in Uni. Today she has a good career. So, go for it! No fears.

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:13 pm
by lizawa
Hi,

I would say, it depends on the child's character. Is he someone who does not feel demoralized even if he is at the bottom of the school, and will strive to do better in order to get into a better class ? or someone who needs his confidence to be boosted ?

If he falls under the 1st category, then, go for Express. It's easier, in my opinion to move from a not so good Express class to a good express class, compared to moving from Normal (A) to Express, especially after Sec 1 and 2. The jump should be quite large.

Also, you should know if your child has potential to do better than this score. Is this score what you expected ? or he could have done better, just that this is a one time "not so good" performance ?

Just some thoughts.

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:24 pm
by prancingpony
Thank you all for the valuable advice. I appreciate it very much. Tomorrow is the last day of S1 posting and I will have a final talk with her mother and her and explain further to them of their options. Whatever they finally decide, with the right attitude that she possess, I am sure she will make it good in her life. Thank you again and wishing all of your children success in their studies!

Re: Express or Normal Academic

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 11:42 pm
by 24hr-mum
is there any gd NA school?

Re: Express or Normal Academic

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:55 am
by slmkhoo
24hr-mum wrote:is there any gd NA school?
Define "good"?