KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

My girl got DSA offers to the above and NYGH....she is determine to opt for NUSHigh over RGS.

Do I let her make up her own mind or persuade her to choose RGS, which is what I feel is a better choice knowing the educational system as an insider - being a teacher myself?

Hi Frog, I think you have better insight into the two schools than any of the parents here as we're just laymen and you're in the system. How about if you sit down with your dd and share with her the pros and cons of NUSH and RGS so she can make an informed decision. Also, as parents and adults, I think we have a better idea of what's good for our kids and the future and we should gently persuade and nudge them to our point of view.

is yr daughter interested in becoming a medical doctor ?

if Yes, then for RGS girls joining RI boys at Yr 5 & 6 doing A level, heard triple Science subjects not offered (pls clarify this fact).

however, NUSH and NYGH joining Hwa Chong boys at Yr 5 & 6 - still have triple Science subjects. In fact, got RGS girls ever transfer successfully to NYGH at Yr 5 & 6, just to study triple Science.

but if yr daughter is interested in other career path that dun need Triple Science, then doesn't matter. So perhaps:-

a) first, find out what is yr daughter's interest.
need to have a heart to heart talk with her, analysing her strength & weaknesses, and

b) after discovering the future potential NUS faculty she is interested in 6 yrs' time down the road, you may write in to inquire the Dean of that particular NUS faculty:-

i) between 2 candidates applying & competing for the same Faculty of study, but from different background - ie. one coming from fresh NUSH, another is a fresh A level graduate, is there any difference in the NUS admission criteria minimum entry ?

if Yes, what is the difference?
choose the easier path.

c)

if yr girl's interest is towards becoming a lawyer one day - there are certain very famous Top universites in UK eg: Cambridge & Oxford.
each yr many applicants, but very very few succeed to get in. You can literally count by yr fingers - the very few number of candidates who manage to clinch to study Oxford Law overseas on scholarship.

each year - Yes, you can find > 100 A level students entering NUS Law faculty locally. But very few from SG can win Oxford scholarship to study Law overseas - only around 5, at the very most.

if yr girl is achievement oriented type - aim to be a lawyer plus she has got very good character, then she need someone strong & powerful to support her and recommend her for an overseas scholarship. So you need to go and do some homework. Find out in yr 5 & 6 - amongst RI, HCI & NUSH, which is the right place whereby you can find those very senior heavy weight recommender (in their 60s, 70s) - who has the power & authority to recommend your daughter, for an overseas scholoarship ?

btw, someone from RI confirmed no triple Science at Yr 5 & 6:-
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum ... start=1030

...thanks for the quick responses, I am concerned that her interests might change and it might be too premature for her to specialize.

Frog wrote:...thanks for the quick responses, I am concerned that her interests might change and it might be too premature for her to specialize.

I have the same concern too, that's why I prefer a broad-based education.

at the end of 6 years, no matter how broad based education is, your child still has to specialize eventually ...

phtthp wrote:at the end of 6 years, no matter how broad based education is, your child still has to specialize eventually ...

.....the question is whether its too early, six years down the road they would be more mature and perhaps more decisive.

My DS was more a humanities person in Lower Sec but is now more into Science in Upper Sec.

Triple Sciences track is now not a 'must' even for Medicine...the world is now quite a bit different from our times. Being too narrow would be a disadvantage.

Triple science useless for medicine. Tell that to half of the medicine faculty who are from ri. I have a son who wanted to go to nushs over ri. But like you mentioned, it is too early for our kids to specialize. 6 years is a long time. I would prefer a holistic education that offers more opportunities for my ds. I sat him down and we just had a nice talk. Even showed him how ri had a better programme. I think you can find out more about rgs to help convince your dd.

Frog wrote:

phtthp wrote:at the end of 6 years, no matter how broad based education is, your child still has to specialize eventually ...

.....the question is whether its too early, six years down the road they would be more mature and perhaps more decisive.

My DS was more a humanities person in Lower Sec but is now more into Science in Upper Sec.

Triple Sciences track is now not a 'must' even for Medicine...the world is now quite a bit different from our times. Being too narrow would be a disadvantage.

Furthermore, a broad-based, holistic education offers more or less equal exposure into the humanities and the arts as well as the maths and the sciences, thus giving more flexibility for the child to pursue his field of interest later.

francbat wrote:Triple science useless for medicine. Tell that to half of the medicine faculty who are from ri. I have a son who wanted to go to nushs over ri. But like you mentioned, it is too early for our kids to specialize. 6 years is a long time. I would prefer a holistic education that offers more opportunities for my ds. I sat him down and we just had a nice talk. Even showed him how ri had a better programme. I think you can find out more about rgs to help convince your dd.

Yup, I think now only chemistry, not biology, is the prerequisite for medicine, so triple sciences not that useful or hot anymore.