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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/devastated-after-being-rejected-by-three-schools-for-dsa-how-to-help-your-child-cope Devastated after being rejected by three schools for DSA: How to help your child cope SINGAPORE – Ms K. Chong’s son was devastated when he was rejected by all three schools he had applied to in the 2023 Direct School Admission (DSA) exercise, especially after he had spent six years learning the erhu twice a week. The boy, who was selected to join the school’s Chinese Orchestra co-curricular activity in Primary 1, initially cried about having to go for lessons, but eventually committed to them and took yearly exams. Ms Chong, 45, a housewife, says she did not consider DSA seriously initially, but started doing so when her son was encouraged by his teachers to apply for it in upper primary. The DSA exercise allows students to apply to a secondary school of their choice based on an area of talent, which could include sports, performing arts or a specific academic area, before taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). “I thought he was gifted in this area, so I put in effort for him. After spending money and time on lessons, I thought it was a sure thing to get into a school via DSA,” Ms Chong says. To maximise his chances, she chose schools with different cut-off points: an affiliated school, a co-ed school and a neighbourhood school. “We went for a wide range of schools so that one of them would accept him, no matter his results,” she says. When the final rejection came in mid-September, Ms Chong kept it from her son so that his preparation for PSLE later in the month would not be affected, “but he more or less knew”. “He was upset and did not want to talk about it, but I’m glad he eventually took it in his stride,” says Ms Chong, who adds that he has stopped playing the erhu. She hopes schools can shed more light on the selection criteria. “It’s not transparent enough. There is not enough information on the criteria. I would like to know how the selection was done,” she adds. With a record number of applications from the 2024 Primary 6 cohort who were born in the Year of the Dragon, there may be a bumper crop of rejections this year. Experts say that parents should first process their own disappointment before helping their child get over the rejection, because children are sensitive to their parents’ emotions. National Institute of Education senior lecturer Kit Phey Ling, who is also a practising counselling psychologist, suggests that parents reflect on how they view the DSA exercise. “If a parent views the DSA as a way for his or her child to get into the ideal school and that it is unacceptable for the child to get into other schools, then the child would tend to frame success in obtaining DSA entry as extremely important,” she says. One way to deal with the situation is for parents to broaden the definition of success. They can, for instance, consider a range of schools and reframe the DSA as one of many pathways to help their child achieve his or her life goals. Bukit Panjang Government High School (BPGH) principal Seet Tiat Hee says it is important that parents first consider schools that best meet their child’s talent area as well as academic abilities. This is especially so as some children find it hard to cope after getting into a school. One parent, whose daughter got into her preferred secondary school via DSA for violin, now regrets the move as the girl is struggling academically. Madam L.H. Huang, a communications manager in her early 50s, says her 15-year-old daughter is stressed out by the pace of school and amount of homework. “She is overwhelmed with trying to catch up with her studies, leaving her with little time to pursue what she’s really good at – music. Also, she does not quite enjoy her string ensemble CCA, as the pieces are not challenging enough,” she says. Helping children cope with DSA rejections Experts say parents should first acknowledge the child’s feelings. Ms Vivyan Chee, Singapore Children’s Society’s deputy director and head of flourishing minds, a mental health service for children and youth, suggests that parents allow their child to express his or her disappointment without immediately trying to fix the situation. “Parents can say things like, ‘I can see that you’re really disappointed and it’s okay to feel that way.’ This helps the child to feel understood and supported,” she says. Parents can then gently guide their child to see the bigger picture, emphasising that this one setback does not define a person’s worth or future success, she adds. It helps to have open conversations about the possibility of rejection, says Ms Chee. “This helps children understand that rejection is a normal part of life and that it does not diminish their abilities or potential,” she says. Preparing children for different outcomes can help them approach the process with a growth mindset, where the focus is on learning and development rather than just the result. Ms June Yong, a family life specialist at Focus on the Family Singapore, says adopting a growth mindset is especially helpful in situations where the outcome is not guaranteed. For instance, parents could remind their child that he or she can always try another path if this does not work out. “This carries a sense of optimism and hope, while holding onto a healthy dose of reality, where rejection is always a possible outcome,” Ms Yong says. Parents can also share their own stories of setbacks and how the experiences helped them become more resilient, she adds. “If practised consistently, the child will come to view PSLE as an important exam that has some bearing on one’s opportunities for future learning, but does not impede on one’s identity and worth,” she says. Regardless of the DSA outcome, parents should praise their child for the effort put in to develop his or her talent area, says Mr Chia Guo Hao, principal of Chung Cheng High School (Yishun). “This helps them to understand that the hard work they put in is valuable,” he adds. Strategies to help children bounce back to revise for PSLE After getting a DSA rejection, let your child take a break. Allow him or her a few days to work through his or her emotions and disappointment, suggests Mr Zhou Shicai, founder of NickleBee Tutors which offers advanced maths programmes for upper primary pupils. For his students who do not manage to secure a confirmed offer, he advises them to see the DSA rejection as an opportunity to improve. He often shares the saying by Canadian-American inventor Alexander Graham Bell with his students: “When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” BPGH’s Mr Seet adds that parents can remind their children that they will still have another chance to enter the school of their choice by doing well for PSLE. Dr Kit says parents can discuss with their children what they have learnt from the DSA preparation and assessment process, and identify how these lessons can be used to help improve PSLE preparation. Ms Chee says a useful way to help children regain focus on their revision is to remind them of their strengths and consider how far they have come in their academic journey. She says parents should engage their children in non-academic activities to show them that “they matter outside of their studies”. Creating a supportive home environment where the child feels encouraged and motivated can significantly boost their resilience and readiness for the PSLE, she adds. What can parents say to their child? Mr Zhou suggests telling your child this: “You may not be a right fit for this school at this point, but we have other options available to us.” Another suggestion is: “Let’s focus on improving ourselves so that when the next opportunity comes along, we will be more than ready.” He says this would help a child understand that there will always be situations beyond his control and it is more important to learn to respond to setbacks. Dr Kit says parents can also use another phrase that can instil hope in the child: “You can still get into a good school if you prepare well and do well in the PSLE.” Parents can also use the rejection as an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with their child, by showing their child that he or she is loved unconditionally. Says Dr Kit: “The comfort that children derive from their parents at this time will allow them to recover from their disappointment and refocus on PSLE preparation more quickly.” https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/devastated-after-being-rejected-by-three-schools-for-dsa-how-to-help-your-child-cope

Yet another one... https://mothership.sg/2021/07/india-school-copy-singapore-sports-school-logo/ The logo of a school in Nagpur, India's state of Maharastra, known as Gaikwad Patil International School (GPIS) looks exactly like Singapore Sports School's (SSS) logo. Principal claims school is now closed and there's nothing further to discuss In reponse to Mothership's queries, SSS said that they had reached out to the principal of GPIS about the matter, as well as the school itself through the "Contact Us" page on their website. The principal then replied SSS, by sharing that she had left the job and that the school "is also shut now". As such, the issue of the two schools having the same logo "does not need any further discussion." SSS added that they interpreted the principal's comments to mean that GPIS is now closed. In addition, SSS asked the principal if she was aware as to whether the school's owner intends to take down the website, since the school is now closed, adding that it would otherwise be misleading having the website remain live. SSS also requested that the principal refers them to the owner of the school, if she was not yet aware. However, on these matters, SSS added that it has not received any further response from the principal since then. The schools' website appears to have since become inaccessible. Principal has assumed new job at DPIS which is located at the same address as GPIS Meanwhile, the principal appears to have assumed a new job at Delhi Public International School (DPIS), which appears to be at the same address as GPIS, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her last post on GPIS was about two months ago, in which she put up a poster stating that applications for GPIS were open. GPIS also appears to have been promoted by DPIS before, with a video by the latter in 2019 advertising the former's facilities. Who designed the SSS logo? According to SSS, it was designed by Ukulele, a commercial brand consultancy in 2003. The trademark was first registered on Sep. 16, 2003, with the school taking in its first cohort of student-athletes in 2004.

Which is better?

saw this news. i think very funny, i dun want to debate on whether he deserve to be hang but they delay his hanging because he is tested positive for cov19 https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/un-experts-urge-singapore-halt-malaysians-execution-2021-11-09/ Singapore grants 11th-hour stay of execution for Malaysian with COVID-19

My niece texted me this article because she was preparing for secondary school project and asked for my inputs. My initial reply to her:" K**! School reopen less than a month and you kanna project liao meh? Sai school! " I think it must be some anti-drug campaign but now with this human rights angle, dunno how to explain it to her. She think that angmohs are very kaypoh. LOL (which I agree) . http://carrot-uncensored.blogspot.sg/2012/05/human-rights-is-bulls**t-in-war-against.html Once again, some foreign organisation has decided to stick its nose into Singapore's affairs and critique our "draconian" laws and capital punishment for drug trafficking. The death sentence for all convicted drug traffickers was set in place for a reason. We cannot afford to let drug problems cripple families and the nation's well-being, especially when Singapore has no natural resources and is reliant on its human resources. Singaporeans are educated on the hazards of drug abuse right from a young age through teachers and parents, as well as public campaigns. For those who take a wrong step and fall into substance abuse, there are rehab houses that help them out of the pits and put them back on track in life. To reinforce these efforts, steps must also be taken to prevent, or at least minimise, the inflow of drugs. What use is there if children were taught not to abuse drugs but ecstasy, heroin, cocaine and all the devils were easily available off street corners? According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's World Drug Report 2011, the annual prevalence of opiates (defined as a drug containing or derived from opium) use as a percentage of the population aged 15-64 was 0.01. Malaysia and Indonesia, which also impose the death penalty on convicted drug traffickers, have a prevalence of use of 0.94% and 0.16% respectively. That prevalence of use in the US was 5.9% – the highest of all countries surveyed. Costa Rica ranks second at 2.8%. The same study looks at cocaine and cannibis usage across the world too. While data for these abuses are lacking for Singapore, prevalence of cannibis use in Malaysia and Indonesia was 1.6% and 0.4% respectively. The prevalence of cocaine use in Indonesia was less than 0.1%. No data was available for Malaysia. That prevalence of cocaine and cannibis use in the US was 2.4% and 13.7% respectively. So why am I drawing references to the US? Well, because the US is such a huge advocator of human rights, and the downside to giving its people so much freedom to live however they want is the flood of social ills and crime. With freedom comes responsibility, and humans are not exactly absolutely responsible beings. If we could get away with something, chances are, we would do it. And this leads me to a piece of news that hit our newspapers earlier this week. New York-headquarted Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent the Singapore president an appeal against the death sentence of Malaysian national Yong Vui Kong, who was found guilty of possessing 42.27 grams of heroin in 2008. Yong was initially sentenced to death in December 2008 but he managed to escape the gallows several times through appeals. Yong's third appeal was denied in early April, and it has been reported that he is down to his last chance. What I found appalling was what Phil Robertson, HRW deputy Asia director, said in his appeal: "Singapore’s mandatory death sentences clearly violate international human rights standards. "Executing another young man for a narcotics offence will only reinforce the image of Singapore’s authorities as oblivious to basic rights and due process." Sticking to the death sentence is necessary to demonstrate our resolution in maintaining a drug-free (or as much as possible) society and to discourage would-be traffickers. As a possible future parent, I want Singapore to be as clean as possible, so that my children will not risk being exposed to lifestyle drugs as a user or a peddler and have his/her life wasted. Yong had a choice – he chose to carry drugs across our border. I will never be able to understand the depth of pain his family has to go through with this looming death sentence, and I hope never would I have to understand it. Still, I must admit that this is indeed very unfortunate. While one could offer sympathy, there is no place for pardon. Yong must be punished, and in accordance to Singapore's anti-drug laws. Singapore cannot give potential drug traffickers a single ounce of hope that they might escape death should they ever try to bring drugs onto our land. I hope our president will stay strong and not waver under pressure from outsiders who have no stake in Singapore's present and future.

hi MCF, Anyone has recommendations for home tutors or tuition agency (for home tutors) at West SG ? This is for a P3 kid. thank you mice

it has been quiet for a few days since school started but not for long as i received a PM today from a clone with an attached link... lucky i didn't click it as i suspect something not right cos i received another clone PM me with the Steven Lim video earlier, i point the cursor to the link and saw it link to a funny website, i just delete the PM. but i also forward the whole PM to the Mod and hopefully didn't do any damage to his PC I believe a few other members here received such PM and at least one did open the link and was cursing high and low [laugh] So be gentle to these clones/clowns if not you will be busy deleting lover messages, and please do not click any link if you are in the office

I am wonder whether the CHIJ primary schools allows children of different religion? I remember the Maha allows non Buddhist children. Are there selection criteria differ from other primary schools? I don't intend to talk too much about religion, just some research for buying a house for overseas friends.

respect the teachers.... this looks like Singapore: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=498888523559547

Lucky she did not make the jump 😓 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4416669725020889&id=566549713366262

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/school-bus-driver-jailed-locking-girl-van-without-ventilation-13903720 .... unbelievable.... Is that school bus driver crazy??? 10months jail.... should give him 2 years...

Any good Primary school to recommend around Woodlands or Sembawang or maybe Yishun? Haha..Prepare to go and do volunteering job 1st.... :P

SINGAPORE - The principal of a secondary school molested seven teenage boys on separate occasions at his workplace in 2017, a district court heard on Friday (Aug 28). The boys, who were between 13 and 15 years old at the time, were at-risk youths who had family problems. They also had disciplinary records both in school and outside. The school's operations manager often called them to the general office to either serve their detention or to counsel and inform them of the disciplinary action they faced . Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Yeo said: "Upon noticing a student... the accused would call him into his room to speak to the student. At times, the accused would also inform the students' teachers of his intention to speak with them and fix a suitable time for them to meet him at his office on the pretext of discussing their disciplinary issues." The man would then molest the boys in his office. In an earlier statement, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that the man is no longer employed by the ministry as of Jan 1, 2018. The 48-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty on Friday to three counts of molestation involving three boys. Eight other charges for similar offences, including those linked to the other four boys, will be taken into consideration during sentencing. Both the man and the school cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the boys' identities. Sometime before Aug 20, 2017, the operations manager was talking to one of the victims, then 13 years old, about his disciplinary issues when the accused intervened and said that he would take over the matter. He then molested the boy after they entered his office. The DPP said: "(The boy) did not disclose the incident to anyone in its immediate aftermath. Given his disciplinary issues, he felt that no one would believe him if he were to disclose what the accused had done to him." By using a similar ruse, the man molested a 14-year-old boy in September 2017 and a 13-year-old boy the following month. In late October that year, the man molested another 14-year-old boy, who told another victim, a 15-year-old student, about his ordeal. On Oct 25, 2017, the two teenagers told the operations manager about what had happened and the matter was reported to the MOE. An MOE officer alerted the police on Nov 6 that year, the court heard. In its earlier statement, the ministry said that it takes a serious view of staff misconduct. Its spokesman added that the ministry will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to its standards of conduct and discipline, including dismissal from service. The former principal is now out on bail of $15,000 and he will be sentenced on Oct 6. For each count of molesting a child below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined or caned. Seems like all these sexual predators lurk in schools. Damn jialat

Anyone from the old primary school up above the hill? The school name is Balestier hill primary school and I'm talking about the 1970s. Not the current one but the old building. There was a puzzle in my mind till today. During that time, we spotted a coffin up above the stage (at the tuckshop) but it was never clear to us whether it is indeed a ''coffin'' above? Anyone from that school in the 1970s period? Do you remember seeing that?

How come some kids will become like that in Primary school? Is it because parents work too hard and leave them to maids? Especially the $1 per day case. Omg.... Any MCFers here have stories to share? http://edumatters.sg/bullying-what-can-you-do-about-it/

My sprog is in Primary 5, for the first time so far - last night I was truly disappointed in the school system. By and large, I find the schools are doing a pretty decent job - so far the education has been going pretty well, I haven't always agreed with what they teach. But hey, I don't need to - they have been doing it rather well. Last night, chatting with the kid - it is the first time I have been seriously upset at what they are doing. Just had the "Chinese Composition" exam for first semester, and we were chit chatting about what she wrote. Apparently they were given picture prompts - about a boy bullying his grandma, running into the road and almost getting run over. Well ok, putting aside the rather ham fisted and heavy handed moralising - we talked about what she said next... I suggested a story line of... Seeing the boy in danger, Superman came flying out of the sky, and stopped the car just in time, lifting it up to protect the boy. But then, when he found out what had happened, he said "Nah - you don't deserve to be rescued" where upon he dropped the car onto the boy, turning him into ketchup. Crotch spawn informed me that if she wrote that, she would be marked down for "going out of context" - WTF????? Out of context? No wonder the kids are so boring - they have to tell a predictable and "moral" story - In my day, we were encouraged to try and shock / surprise the teacher. Not write stories to some freaking boring formula!!! Blardy hell - how to move forward like that?

Piew........... all the morning and evening peak traffic jams will ease for the next 6 weeks............... Also down from Monday is the ERP charges....... Very stressful when driving along PIE turning left to Steven Road every morning........

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31998343 About 300 people have been arrested in the Indian state of Bihar, authorities say, after reports emerged of blatant cheating in school exams. Parents and friends of students were photographed climbing school walls to pass on answers. Many of those arrested were parents. At least 750 students have been expelled. An estimated 1.4m students are taking their school leaving exams in Bihar alone - tests seen as crucial for their chances of a successful career. The authorities have clearly been embarrassed by the cheating, the BBC's Jill McGivering says, with the episode prompting ridicule on social media. Students were seen copying answers from smuggled-in note sheets, and police posted outside test centres were even seen being bribed to look the other way. Here's how to cheat: ...and they are probably coming here as FT.

Finally. A major milestone in vaccination... Actually boys will also benefit from reduction of sexually transmitted warts etc, but i guess the cost vs benefit ratio is not there. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/sec-1-female-students-free-hpv-vaccine-against-cervical-cancer-11316882

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Stor...717-155267.html if his students find him, i hope the students will not chong tong

This guy must have true grit. Wow. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/from-ite-to-nus-secondary-school-dropout-gets-into-medical-school

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-48253398 This would never work here? Right? Anyone have a link to that photo of the guy walking to start his NS with his maid following on behind him carrying all his kit.

Moe gradually to abolish outright streaming Into express and normal. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/streaming-secondary-schools-scrapped-o-n-levels-ong-ye-kung-11312252

Just met my former Pri school classmate after 30 years