Monday, July 24, 2006
A guide for Sec 4s...
Students of today have to make educated and wise choices regarding their course of education. One of the most important decisions that they have to make is regarding the selection of a Junior College (JC) or polytechnic after the controversial “O” levels. Principals, teachers, parents and relatives will dish out their wonderful harangues while the students struggle hard to grasp the new information that has been disseminated to them. This important information will, in time to come, assist the student in their decision-making process. Most of the students tend to sit on the fence when it comes to procuring the courage required to make a decision that reduces all opportunity cost and obtain ceteris paribus. There is, of course, a proclivity to make a quick and frivolous choice due to the large amount of stress; this is definitely a faux pas made by a jejune-minded person. Trying hard not to capitulate to stress is difficult, but life is already laden with such obstacles.
The main question students will ask themselves is: Should I choose a JC or a polytechnic? Students who like a structured and guided curriculum, with a school-like environment would usually prefer the JC path while those who are inclined towards a learning approach that is more hands-on, with more project work would choose the polytechnic route. So how do students figure out what is their learning style? Polytechnic counsellors will usually ask prospective students about their hobbies and interests to help them make a decision.
Prestige – the main factor that causes preponderance amongst all students. Brand names such as Raffles and Hua Chong tend to draw huge droves of valedictorians from all over the country every year. Thus we notice that a war is waged within the top schools as the valedictorians battle it out to become the cream of the crop. We must also consider the fact that with more prestige, the price of stress and finance increases. School fees are sky high due to the better facilities which require maintenance. Unfortunately, parents and relatives of these students are usually (with much veracity), dogmatic. Polytechnic students are inevitably looked down upon, and students from Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) suffer from even greater sarcasm. The way people think here is: “Polys are for those who can’t make it to JC…” Does this really matter, or perhaps the main raison de’tre of the path chosen is to achieve the dreams of these students?
The next factor that contributes to the decision-making process is the fact that it is difficult for a polytechnic student to make it to the local universities. Currently, only about 10% of a poly cohort makes it to university here, compared to 73% of a JC cohort. However, due to the increasing calibre of the poly students, the trend is changing. More poly students will have a place in the local universities in years to come. In fact, more than 60% of polytechnic graduates go on to complete a degree within 5 years of receiving their diplomas. The view that many of the parents have today is indeed parochial.
There are, of course, other routes that can be taken in lieu of the normal JC and poly path. Centralised institutes and IB programmes are now available to students, allowing them to learn at their own pace. Centralised Institutes give students 3 years to learn and eventually take the A level examination, the passport to university. IB programmes are mainly offered in top schools so that the students can simply skip their A levels and move on to universities straight away. The IB programme however, has its cons. If the student were to fail the course, it may be the end of the route for them. Will this mean more freedom for the IB students or spell the word “STRESS” on their heads?
To sum it all up, students taking the O level examinations will suffer from a paroxysm when it comes to making a wise decision about their next path of life. The hiatus between the future and present will be made smaller as this important step is taken. :)
Students of today have to make educated and wise choices regarding their course of education. One of the most important decisions that they have to make is regarding the selection of a Junior College (JC) or polytechnic after the controversial “O” levels. Principals, teachers, parents and relatives will dish out their wonderful harangues while the students struggle hard to grasp the new information that has been disseminated to them. This important information will, in time to come, assist the student in their decision-making process. Most of the students tend to sit on the fence when it comes to procuring the courage required to make a decision that reduces all opportunity cost and obtain ceteris paribus. There is, of course, a proclivity to make a quick and frivolous choice due to the large amount of stress; this is definitely a faux pas made by a jejune-minded person. Trying hard not to capitulate to stress is difficult, but life is already laden with such obstacles.
The main question students will ask themselves is: Should I choose a JC or a polytechnic? Students who like a structured and guided curriculum, with a school-like environment would usually prefer the JC path while those who are inclined towards a learning approach that is more hands-on, with more project work would choose the polytechnic route. So how do students figure out what is their learning style? Polytechnic counsellors will usually ask prospective students about their hobbies and interests to help them make a decision.
Prestige – the main factor that causes preponderance amongst all students. Brand names such as Raffles and Hua Chong tend to draw huge droves of valedictorians from all over the country every year. Thus we notice that a war is waged within the top schools as the valedictorians battle it out to become the cream of the crop. We must also consider the fact that with more prestige, the price of stress and finance increases. School fees are sky high due to the better facilities which require maintenance. Unfortunately, parents and relatives of these students are usually (with much veracity), dogmatic. Polytechnic students are inevitably looked down upon, and students from Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) suffer from even greater sarcasm. The way people think here is: “Polys are for those who can’t make it to JC…” Does this really matter, or perhaps the main raison de’tre of the path chosen is to achieve the dreams of these students?
The next factor that contributes to the decision-making process is the fact that it is difficult for a polytechnic student to make it to the local universities. Currently, only about 10% of a poly cohort makes it to university here, compared to 73% of a JC cohort. However, due to the increasing calibre of the poly students, the trend is changing. More poly students will have a place in the local universities in years to come. In fact, more than 60% of polytechnic graduates go on to complete a degree within 5 years of receiving their diplomas. The view that many of the parents have today is indeed parochial.
There are, of course, other routes that can be taken in lieu of the normal JC and poly path. Centralised institutes and IB programmes are now available to students, allowing them to learn at their own pace. Centralised Institutes give students 3 years to learn and eventually take the A level examination, the passport to university. IB programmes are mainly offered in top schools so that the students can simply skip their A levels and move on to universities straight away. The IB programme however, has its cons. If the student were to fail the course, it may be the end of the route for them. Will this mean more freedom for the IB students or spell the word “STRESS” on their heads?
To sum it all up, students taking the O level examinations will suffer from a paroxysm when it comes to making a wise decision about their next path of life. The hiatus between the future and present will be made smaller as this important step is taken. :)
gazed at e stars@11:30 PM
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