Saturday, January 12, 2008

Straits Times Saturday, January 12 2008. Sec 5 class advised: Go to ITE instead

When my dad pointed at the HOME section of Straits Times today, "Take a look at it."

He sighed.

I took the paper out from the car boot and started reading it.

Sub Heading: " Sec 5 class advised: Go to ITE instead."

I'm fuming mad actually. I'm a Secondary 5 student, and am proud to be one. The reasons why we want to go to Secondary 5 is because we want a higher education level, with high hopes of admitting into Polytechnics.

And now, principals of some schools are actually advising their students go to ITE. Was it because there were lesser and lesser students going into ITE annually? Or was it because the govt built so many ITEs in Singapore and guineapigs like us, students were actually advised to go ITE to fill up places over there?

If I was a parent of a Secondary 5 child, I would also gladly support her and boost her confidence, and hope that she could slide through O's and go Poly.

I quote, " It's a fact. If a student scored a Grade 4 or Grade 5 for a subject in N Levels, she is unlikely to pass the subject in O Levels."

Honestly, every principals hope a 100% passses in his/her school, and the reason for advising weaker and poorer students to choose ITE is because the principal do not want to tar the school's record or lower its ranking.

I mean, is this the way each principal manage its school? As a principal, not only should you handle miscellaneous stuffs in school, you should also always encourage your students to strive harder, encourage and support each student into having a good and productive teaching lesson.

And not to just extract weeds out from grasses, like pushing weaker students to ITE.

This is a totally wrong approach. Don't weaker students needed more attention from the teachers and you mean they don't even deserve a chance to prove themselves?

I remembered one of my ex-teacher, Mrs Yong also advised us to to ITE and stop wasting our time, struggling through O Levels. I simply couldn't agree with her because we have already gone through N levels and we were being accepted because we managed to meet the criteria. But don't we deserve a chance to experience what O Levels is like? I mean, I definitely won't get influenced by her. Even if I were to fail my O's, I would want to retain one more year and make sure I shall make it for O's.

This is quite frustrating and disappointing that even principals look down and despice Normal Academic Stream.

1 comment:

eastcoastlife said...

It is so wrong of the principals, teachers and MOE staff to look down on Normal students. Having the Normal stream is a major mistake. What gives them the right to label future leaders to be gifted, Express or Normal.

I'm angry over this case too. That is not the way an educator should behave and what she said in defence was all crap. She didn't apologise for her behaviour and yet tried to defend herself.