Sorry your child is not bright enough

[Happily1986]

CNA

 

SINGAPORE: As the tuition landscape here evolves - with a burgeoning market for helping children who are strong academically to become even better - the practice of some enrichment centres of holding entry tests for children as young as six has raised hackles among some parents.

 

But centres which hold such tests defend it as a way to screen prospective students and understand their abilities better.

 

Even so, observers TODAY spoke to said that these tests could add more pressure on parents and affect a child's confidence at an early stage.

 

Finance manager V. Ang's six-year-old son recently failed an entry test at a popular enrichment centre and is preparing to take another test at a different centre.

 

The 33-year-old said: "The screening is quite ridiculous ... when I sent my son to enrol, they even required information such as which primary school he will be going to. It is quite stressful, as it is not only difficult to get in but expensive too."

 

Another parent, Ms Serene Tan, said her son, who is in Kindergarten 2, was unable to get a place at the Learning Point after he could not pass the entry test in November.

 

The investment consultant, who is her mid-30s, questioned the motivation of enrichment centres that are solely focused on helping students who are already strong academically to do better.

 

She added: "I find it very odd that they have such comprehensive entry tests even for children at that age. The centre said that my son didn't do well in his spelling and grammar, but he is only in K2."

 

Enrichment centres here conduct entry tests for children in kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools.

 

The duration of these tests are usually between 30 minutes and one-and-a-half hours. An English test for a K2 pupil, for instance, can include grammar, composition, spelling and reading segments.

 

When contacted, several enrichment centres, which hold entry tests, reiterated the need for the entry tests and pointed to the results they have achieved in helping children who have the aptitude for accelerated learning.

 

The Learning Lab, for instance, said that each year, 70 per cent of its students see their grades improve by 10 percentage points. It added that 297 of its students scored 260 and above in last year's Primary School Leaving Examination.

 

Enrolment requirements vary across the enrichment centres: The Learning Point, for example, will not accept students who fail its entry test, although it allows them to take a re-test six months later. For Just Education, it conducts these tests for students whose results in school are below its criteria.

 

The Learning Lab said its entry tests are used to assess the ability of the students, so that they can be grouped together with others of similar calibre.

 

Apart from entry tests, the centre also conducts pre-enrolment interviews "to appraise the student's drive and desire to improve, and fit with our school's learning ethos".

 

Its spokesperson Ling Cheah told TODAY: "We want to ensure that when we admit a student, we can indeed add value, we can indeed help him improve on his personal best."

 

Creative Horizons, which offers English as well as creative writing courses, pointed out that its students should have a minimum standard of English before attempting creative writing, for instance.

 

The centre's director Faeza Sirajudin stressed that "no child is at the place where they don't need any more help". Nevertheless, she said parents should not "hothouse" their children to try to push them beyond what they can achieve.

 

She said that it was unhealthy for parents to send their children to enrichment centres at an increasingly young age, when they should be given time to play.

 

Mountbatten Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, dismissed the practice of having entry tests as '"marketing gimmicks".

 

Said Mr Lim: "Some centres obviously just want bragging rights. If top students come in, they obviously would be good to begin with. Such practices drive up the pressure unnecessarily."

 

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Intan Mokhtar, who also lectures at the National Institute of Education (NIE), added that these enrichment centres play on parents' fears that their children would lose out if they are not stretched from a young age.

 

She said: "I guess with the current state where there's a lot of competition to enter university, parents take extra precaution - if the child is good, he can be even better."

 

Noting the psychological impact on children who fail the entry tests, she added: "It would instil in the child a sense of belief that everything boils down to (getting) the 'A's, when learning really isn't just about that." - TODAY

 

what do you think?

[Jman888]

totally agree with this statement

 

Mountbatten Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, dismissed the practice of having entry tests as '"marketing gimmicks".

 

Said Mr Lim: "Some centres obviously just want bragging rights. If top students come in, they obviously would be good to begin with. Such practices drive up the pressure unnecessarily."

[Nightkids]

i tink gahment is VERY DESPERATE in looking for future $inkaporeans talents......

 

my 0.2 cents

[SimonTan]

Braqgging rights is one thing.

 

My experiences is that there are insufficient enrichment classes in Singapore to cater to the huge children population.

Sichida, Mind champ, BaiLiGuo(Berries), Eaton, etc......all full house. Got money also hard to get in.

 

So naturally the centers want to chose the smarter childrens to join them. Then the teachers will have a easy job, then the centers can also keep increasing the tuition fees.

 

 

[Watwheels]

It's all about making huge profits for the school. Who the fxxk there actually cares about the children?

[Happily1986]

i am really rethinking my life choice on having a kid. As life is not hard enough. Unless i have the means to migrate i am in a serious rethink.

[Hondacub777]

Maybe someone shld open a center for "not so smart" kids.

If improves,the center will get lots of credits.If the results neber improves,blame it on the child.Stating the child is not smart in the first place

[Jman888]

Maybe someone shld open a center for "not so smart" kids.

If improves,the center will get lots of credits.If the results neber improves,blame it on the child.Stating the child is not smart in the first place

 

 

then when the centre 'make-it' they start to accept only the bright ones, back to the same -_-

[Pltang]

if they only accept top students.... their results would be tip top...

[Happily1986]

then when the centre 'make-it' they start to accept only the bright ones, back to the same -_-

 

i am with you on this. when tuition centres started posting big big posters on their facade proclaiming so and so got A/A1 bla bla, this day was bound to come.

[Tigerwoods]

Fark these money spinning enriching themselves...schools.

Didn't know so many intelligent parents so stupid.

[Enye]

If parents are willing to put in time and effort to TEACH THEIR OWN CHILDREN, none of these enrichment courses are necessary.

 

But for those who want the easy way out i.e. just pay $$, well that route is closed to them now. Thats why they are complaining (as usual).

[Littleknown]

 

Free market. Not happy, don't enroll.

 

The most sad are the parents whose kid got rejected as they are the most kiasu to begin with.

 

Poor things. They must be really worried this is the beginning of long string of rejections for their child and by extension, themselves.

[Watwheels]

Fark these money spinning enriching themselves...schools.

Didn't know so many intelligent parents so stupid.

Intelligent my ass. More like kiasu parents.

[Rncw]

why not let chewrens grow up like chewrens...nowadays parents all pressure cook their chewrens until they become a bit short when young age...let them play and have fun, and not stressed for tests in K2....

[Pokyman]

No wonder we are no longer graceful and all that .... focus on grades, career and money. Nothing else matters

[Pokyman]

Then again, back then where we do not have such enrichment stuff, we did quite well eh ?

[Roh96]

Blame it on who? Gahmen lah. From Primary school selection, to GEP, to SAP, to IP and what so ever. They import foreign students from China, pay for their tuition fee. They are the one making our education so stress up. I don't blame parents for being kiasu, it is only natural that all parents want their child to do well and cope with the ever stressful system.