Restrict IPs to students who will gain from it
(1/31/2010 09:25:00 PM)
I REFER to last Saturday's letter by Mr David Goh, 'Have more IP schools'.He advocates increasing the number of places in the Integrated Programme (IP) to ensure that top performing O-level students enter top junior colleges (JCs). I feel that it is fairer to ensure that students with the highest academic ability get to enter top JCs, and offer IP places only to those who can gain more from IP than the O-level track.
Mr Goh's argument rests on the assumption that top performing O-level students are necessarily those with the highest academic ability. This leads him to conclude that it is unfair that a top scorer in the O levels cannot enter the JC of his choice.
While I do not deny such occurrences, it is worth pointing out that it is now relatively easy for a student to be a top performer in the O levels. This occurs because the O levels are marked on a bell curve, and with many academically talented students skipping the O levels, the remaining ones taking these exams face less competition. In other words, an excellent O-level score is no longer the best proxy for academic achievement, so this is not a sufficient reason to argue for a need to provide extra places for these students.
However, this argument assumes that academic ability at Primary 6 correlates exactly with academic ability at O level. Mr Goh is right in pointing out that the IP puts a lot of pressure on Primary 6 pupils, since the Primary School Leaving Examination determines their entry to these schools. After which, they may have an easier path to one of the top JCs than a late bloomer who performs well only come the O levels.
In that case, instead of reflexively opening more places in the IP to reward these late bloomers, perhaps the criteria for promotion of these IP students should be made stricter, to ensure that entry into JC is based on strong academic performance in secondary school, rather than in primary school.
We should not increase IP places merely to satisfy people. The IP has restrictions of its own - students who are more inclined towards the polytechnics are denied these choices, and IP students interact with a much smaller group of people than their non-IP counterparts. In that respect, these IP students may understand less of the concerns facing those who are not their six-year IP mates, which may hinder their interaction with others in the future.
Chua Xin Rong (Ms)
Taken from The Straits Times, ST Forum, Online Story dated Jan 30, 2010.
Grad Night
(10/24/2009 08:55:00 AM)
THE PHOTOS (by me) ARE UP! AND TAGGED!i really don't think i possess the creative brain juices that flow through Indeterminate's or TGCXR's mind, so i shall leave it to them to weave a story if they want to.
the hwachong bear featured so regularly i had to create a special tag, or i wouldn't be doing that cute furry creature a justice.
CHECK PHOTOBUCKET! :D
A short snippet from a mass UNO game session
(9/30/2009 10:29:00 PM)
Jun Hui L. piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Keat Ying L. PIKA
Keat Ying L. PIKAPIKA
Keat Ying L. PIKACHU!
Soo K. walao
Jun Hui L. pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Kia Yee L. this is so going on class blog
Keat Ying L. HAHAHAS
Keat Ying L. PIKA!
Jun Hui L. OMG?!
Keat Ying L. pika >.
Jun Hui L. nonono
Jun Hui L. hurk :(:(
Jun Hui L. pikapi :(:(
Keat Ying L. pikachu :/
Keat Ying L. i am going to electrocute kiayee
Keat Ying L. PIKA...................CHU
5 things I'd like to see before leaving 6h
(9/29/2009 03:24:00 PM)
Sometimes, I feel that being in Hwachong means that you no longer need to watch TV.
Why watch Singapore Idol when you can see Guo Kai impersonate Michael Jackson on a table in E204? Why watch Phantom of the Opera re-runs when you can watch HRH emit window-shattering wails of misery over the number of marks she has lost so far? Why watch Channel 8 dramas when right across the table, Keat Ying and Kia Yee are bickering like they've been married for the past 5000 years?
(And, why watch Survivor when I will be busy trying to survive when the people I've just mentioned come running after me with sharp, pointy weapons tomorrow? But ok, that's besides the point.)
Well, they say human greed is insatiable, and I can't help but wish for more.
After giving the matter some thought, I came up with a list of things I'd like to see before I leave. If anyone knows that these events are going to happen, please tell me so that I can ready my camera.
Here they are, ranked in terms of likelihood (from the least unlikely to the most unlikely):
5. Seeing a guy (any guy, as long as I know the person) turn up in a dress for prom.
To be honest, this idea was not suggested by me. Apparently Fish has already gone around offering to buy a bunch of guys dresses, but so far it seems that no one has taken up the offer. A pity...can you even imagine Guo Kai in a dress? Or even heels? I think I'd spend the night trying to lift my jaw from the table.
4. Wang Jue pinching the cheeks of, er, a certain someone (the precise name is withheld for my safety).
They say a picture says a thousand words, so...
Isn't it cute? And aren't its cheeks so pinchable?
3. Jamie bullying Coco.
Jamie walking over to Coco, saying "Fat fat, why you so slow!", and then pushing her chair towards the nearest wall. Then, after Coco gets up, Jamie takes Coco's chair, turns it sideways, and balances it under the table. The thoughts are kind of familiar, yes?
2. HRH let loose on 6k.
If this is going to happen anytime soon, please tell me so I can come to school with a big bag of popcorn that I can munch on while watching the action. In actual fact, similar things do happen ("JunhuiiiIIIiii!!!" and "Kia YeeeEEEeee!!!"), but considering that most of us minions in 6h rarely manage to contradict The Queen, I can only assume that the rate of production of whines can only be made to increase if she were placed outside the domain of her immediate realm of control (ah, how blasphemous!).
eg. " JianhuaaaAAAaaa!!! Come and teach me how to write a GP essay!"
eg2 "*whine* I don't *like* you!!! *rains pokes on some random person who has dared to make less mistakes than her*"
Well, and for the most impossible of them all,
1. Ms Claire giving a member of 6h an A for GP.
Yes, with our imminent departure, comes other imminent things like A levels.
Enjoy the rest of today, everyone!
