School and University Admission System | Singapore Maths Tuition

Students returning from abroad can start applying for admission under the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans scheme

July 16, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

16 July 2020

Singaporean students returning from overseas who plan to enrol in secondary schools or junior colleges here next year can start sending in their applications to the Ministry of Education.

They will apply under the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (Spers) scheme, which comprises of a set of centralised tests for Singaporean students seeking admission into a local school after having lived or studied abroad.

The tests for those seeking admission to Secondary 1 to 3 will be held from Sept 22 to 24, while the tests for Pre-University 1 will be held on Nov 12. No tests will be conducted for students at the Secondary 4 and Pre-University 2 levels, as these are national examination years.

Applicants will receive their school placement results in December and will be able to join their school at the start of the first school term next year.

“MOE would encourage (returning Singaporean) children who are seeking a place in any suitable school near their Singapore residence to make use of MOE’s Assured School Placement service,” said a ministry spokesman. The Assured School Placement service secures admission for returning Singaporean children into a school with vacancies near their residence before they return. Students who make use of this service do not have to sit any centralised tests.

Singapore’s six government-funded universities are increasing the number of available slots for prospective students

July 10, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

10 July 2020

Singapore’s six government-funded universities are offering around 2,000 more places to prospective students this year.

Some of the offers will go to Singaporeans whose overseas study plans have to be put on hold because of the global human malware situation. Local universities held a second admissions exercise in May to cater to this group of students.

Other spots have also been allocated to polytechnic diploma holders who had previously intended to join the workforce but are now opting to further their studies because of the weak job market.

Because of the additional effort made their year to increase the number of university places, the Ministry of Education said it expects the cohort participation rate (CPR) to increase slightly this year, by up to 2 percentage points, from the originally planned 40 per cent.

The MOE said that Singaporean students who are midway through their degree studies overseas, but who now wish to switch to studying locally, can write directly to the autonomous universities. Their applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. This includes a review of whether credit transfers can be granted.

Some students have indicated that they are planning to defer their studies by three to six months. They can sign up for continuing education and training modular courses offered by the universities during this period.

Government cannot make attendance at school voluntary

May 28, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

28 May 2020

The Government cannot make attendance at school voluntary because that would not be good for the morale of both students and teachers, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.

Mr Ong said in a Facebook post that that exceptions to compulsory school attendance can only be made for concerns arising from medical conditions.

From June, graduating students will resume classes on weekdays. Students in other cohorts will rotate weekly between home-based learning and returning to school for lessons.

A voluntary system would only serve to segregate students according to those whose families are able to provide care for them at home, and those who are not, Mr Ong said.

Teachers will end up having to juggle between classroom teaching and facilitating home-based learning for every lesson, which is not sustainable.

Fewer tangible measures in this year’s Direct School Admission exercise

May 26, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

26 May 2020

Schools participating in the Direct School Admission exercise this year will do all interviews and selection for shortlisted candidates via electronic modes (e-modes). This policy has raised concerns whether the exercise will remain fair.

Schools will strive to select students with potential, “exemplary character and desirable personal qualities, such as the ability to thrive amidst adversity”, even without competition placements, said a Ministry of Education spokesman.

A total of 146 secondary schools and 20 junior colleges are taking part in this year’s exercise, which started on May 12.

To ensure fairness in the selection process, the e-modes will be conducted at the applicants’ schools. School staff will also be present to provide technical support where necessary.

All schools look at a range of skills and attributes when shortlisting students. Schools will continue to reach out to students from less advantaged backgrounds, including those with little or no prior training or formal certification, to ensure that they are aware of the support available, and encourage those with talent and potential to apply for suitable DSA schools.

ITE and polytechnics to conduct early admissions exercises online

May 20, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

20 May 2020

The Institute of Technical Education as well as Singapore’s five polytechnics will conduct selections for the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) online for the large majority of courses.

Graduating N-and O-level students can apply for early admission to ITE Nitec and Higher Nitec courses respectively, from May 27 to June 3. For polytechnic courses, final-year ITE students can apply from June 11 to 17, while graduating O-level students can apply from June 25 to July 1.

The EAE allows students to gain conditional admission to a course based on their aptitude and talent, even if they have yet to attempt their qualifying final examinations.

Students may have to submit portfolios, undergo interviews and take aptitude tests as part of the selection process.

Institutions implementing EAE this year will use electronic means such as online interviews or portfolio submissions over e-mail where feasible. However, on-campus selection will still be needed for some courses.

Local universities receive applications from students originally planning to go abroad

May 16, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

16 May 2020

Some Singaporean students are rethinking plans to go for further studies abroad, in light of the global situation, and also factoring in economic uncertainties and the high cost of living and tuition overseas.

Take Raffles Institution alumnus Valerie Lu, for instance. She originally wanted to go to the Maryland Institute College of Art this August for her degree studies, but she has since decided to apply for a place in the new degree course in design and artificial intelligence at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

SUTD has pushed back the start date of its academic year from May to Sept 14 from this year, and launched another admissions exercise from May 4 to cater to people such as Ms Lu.

Like Singapore’s five other autonomous universities, SUTD has also taken admissions online. SUTD said that more than a 100 A-level holders and polytechnic diploma holders have attended its online information sessions so far.

SUTD said that this year’s applicants will be assessed on the ability to cope with the academic rigour of the courses, the ability to work well in teams, and intellectual curiosity.

Applications for this year’s Direct School Admission scheme will be conducted entirely online

May 12, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

12 May 2020

Applications for this year’s Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme will be conducted entirely online.

Schools employing DSA as a way of taking in students with unique gifts and talents will conduct interviews through video-conferencing tools.

The e-interview sessions will take place from early July to mid-September, and will be spaced out to avoid intermingling of students.

The timeline for accepting DSA applications is mid-May to early June, similar to previous years.

Education Minister Ong Ye King said that the DSA scheme will try to take in as many students as it did last year. The direct entry scheme had 3,500 students who successfully applied to secondary schools last year.

Efforts have been stepped up to encourage students with ability and potential, especially those from less-advantaged family backgrounds, to apply for secondary school places via DSA.

National University of Singapore to admit working adults based on job experience and referrals

March 10, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

10 March 2020

The National University of Singapore is starting a new entry path this year to allow working adults to enter full-time undergraduate degree programmes, using their job experience and work referrals as qualifying factors.

Adults who do not have a university degree can apply for full-time degrees in business, engineering and arts and social sciences through this scheme, known as Advance@NUS.

Previously, working adults typically take up part-time degrees and their academic grades would be the main consideration for admission.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said that academic grades attained years earlier “do not fully reflect the current eligibility of applicants”.

Professor Susanna Leong, NUS vice-provost (master’s programmes and lifelong education) and dean of NUS’ School of Continuing and Lifelong Education, said the initiative aims to encourage working adults to complement their practical work experience with academic rigour.