News review Omega - Lower ranked JCs, more A-Levels?

Lower-ranked JCs get more O level aces

The Straits Times, Home, March 3rd

As Singapore’s society progresses with increasing speed, the pressure on students to do better mounts. With our very competitive education system, some people succeed, but others do not. This article is a testament to the fact, that, under all that pressure, diamonds have been formed – once diamonds in the rough, but now shining gems. These are none other than student from so-called “lower-ranked” schools, who are becoming more and more prominent as their potential to outstrip their high-ranked counterparts continues to increase. This, clearly, is a marked improvement from before, and it shows the possible effectiveness of our country’s education system.

According to the article, students with more than 12 points in their O-levels are often discouraged to take more than three A-level subjects. This is a point of debate, for some who take four subjects churn out better results than those who only take three subjects. In my opinion, students should be allowed the free choice to choose what they wish – they should, at that age, have the intelligence to choose enough to do well, to know their own limits. If the students feel that they can cope with more, and would thrive under pressure, it is wrong to discourage them from doing so, or label them as people who didn’t make it, or to prejudice them, restrict their choices.

From the government’s perspective, of course, this is a completely different matter. I can only assume, for I do not know much, but perhaps the government feels that experimentation is over, and that it is time for those who do not do so well to build strong foundations on a few subjects rather than building castles in the air. Maybe the government knows that it would be difficult for these students to excel in so many areas, and thus let them concentrate on fewer areas, but more in-depth. Empathy on the students’ part is needed if the education system is to run smoothly.

Still, the jump in numbers of four A students in lower-ranked JCs, such as Pioneer JC, has increased exponentially. For Pioneer JC, it was a jump from 5 such students in 2005 to 23 today. This can be seen as an effort on the schools part to give students as god an education as is possible. Perhaps it is not just the students that are thriving under the pressure, but maybe the school systems as well – the way they are run, their policies, values, goals. Iron sharpens iron, and the results have shown.

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