Helping Late Bloomers Fulfil their Potential
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Discipline and determination have helped Jasper (middle) reach his goal of qualifying for a N(T) course.
Jasper Lim is a young and talented exponent of Chinese martial arts.
Unfortunately, it's a skill that he would have loved to trade for a place in a Normal Academic (N(A)) class when he entered secondary school. For despite winning first place in an inter-school Wushu competition during Pri 6, Jasper's PSLE results were only good enough to qualify him in a Normal Technical (N(T)) course.
"When I was in primary school, I didn't study hard," admits Jasper.
Applying the discipline that honed his wushu skills to his studies, Jasper drew up a strict timetable to keep himself focused on his schoolwork. His hard work paid off when he was allowed to transfer to the N(A) course after half a year at Pioneer Secondary School.
Fruit of a more flexible N(T) curriculum
Jasper owes this achievement to his own effort as well as changes the Ministry of Education made to the N(T) curriculum in 2004, which now allow N(T) students to take up one or two N(A) subjects. The curriculum was also made more practice-oriented to fit the learning profile of N(T) students. And as shown in Jasper's case, there is now sufficient overlap in the Sec 1 N(T) and Sec 1 N(A) curricula to let promising students to transfer from the former to the latter.
Changes to the N(T) curriculum now allow N(A) students to take up one or more N(T) subjects.
Pioneer Secondary has embraced these changes wholeheartedly, seeking to give every N(T) student an opportunity to fully realise his or her potential. For instance, a N(T) student who did well in subjects like Maths or Mother Tongue during the PSLE would be given a chance to take these subjects at N(A) level. This requires more complicated scheduling and additional teaching support, but is well worth the effort, says Principal Mr Satianathan s/o K Nadarajah.
The school allows N(T) students who score an average of 70% in their midyear exams to apply for a lateral transfer to N(A). "From our experience, it's best for students to transfer in the middle of Sec 1," explains Mr Satianathan. This timing gives students more breathing room to catch up by the end of the year. To provide a helping hand, the school offers a two-week bridging programme during the June holidays to coach the students in subjects such as English, Maths, Science, Geography, History and Literature.
Giving students confidence and teaching support
For those who have transferred to N(A), the move is usually a great confidence booster.
"I wanted to prove to people that I can do it," says Sec 2 student Nur Safiqah Bte Sazali. "I'm proud of myself with what I had achieved!" Another Sec 2 student, D. Devan, put in extra hours every week day to work towards getting into the N(A) Course. When he eventually succeeded, he was surprised and very happy. Both Devan and Nur Shafiqah are now aiming to get into the Express stream and hope to eventually enrol in a polytechnic.
Together with Jasper, D. Devan (left) and Nur Shafiqah (right) hope to break into the Express stream.
When N(T) students have transferred to the N(A) Course, the school monitors their performance to ensure that they are able to cope. If their results suddenly dip, teachers will seek to understand why and help the students get back on track. This includes giving remedial lessons or pre-teaching them certain topics to facilitate their learning in class.
To further enrich the educational experience and develop students' interests and strengths, Pioneer Secondary offers elective modules like inline skating and drama workshops for N(T) students. There are also hairdressing and entrepreneurship courses to introduce students to ITE subjects and expose them to possible career options.
"Some students could be late bloomers. We believe that they should not be deprived of the chance to realise their fullest potential," affirms Mr Satianathan.
As for our young martial artist, he is now in Sec 2 and aiming to break into the Express stream. "I'm very happy I got into N(A)! My parents are also very proud of me," shares Jasper, his voice resonating with pride. "I want to learn more things and to take the 'N' and 'O' levels exams!"