{"id":96835,"date":"2026-11-01T07:11:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T23:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=96835"},"modified":"2026-11-01T07:11:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T23:11:01","slug":"look-beyond-cut-off-points-psle-scores-when-choosing-secondary-schools-principals-at-st-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=96835","title":{"rendered":"Look beyond cut-off points, PSLE scores when choosing secondary schools: Principals at ST forum"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Explore the PSLE Companion microsite for more insights and tips.<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

SINGAPORE \u2013 Choosing the right secondary school<\/span><\/a> after the PSLE should not be based solely on a school\u2019s cut-off points or the child\u2019s score, said five secondary school principals on Oct 31.<\/p>\n

Instead, parents should make practical considerations like the time it takes to get to the school and whether its unique programmes and co-curricular activities cater to the child\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n

Speaking at The Straits Times Post-PSLE Forum on Oct 31, Goh Soon Hoe, principal of Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School, said: \u201cIf the PSLE result was attained through sheer force of tuition, then maybe that AL (aggregate level) score may not be a good representation of what a day-to-day life in secondary school education is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goh was one of five principals on a panel who agreed that a child\u2019s PSLE score is not always indicative of their true academic potential.<\/p>\n

Hosted by ONE FM 91.3 radio presenter Lavinia Tan, the event was attended by about 120 people at the SPH Media News Centre auditorium and 70 who joined online. Now into its fourth year, this series is intended to inform parents whose children sat the PSLE in September and are awaiting results in end-November before applying to secondary schools.<\/p>\n

Lucy Toh, principal of National Junior College (NJC), which offers the Integrated Programme (IP) \u2013 a six-year secondary school pathway \u2013 said relying on tuition for good grades is not sustainable in secondary school, where students take more subjects.<\/p>\n

She added that parents gunning for IP schools like NJC also need to consider if their children have the high level of maturity and self-directedness required for this pathway, which allows students to skip national examinations at Sec 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your child is not yet operating at that level of maturity in Sec 1, then IP could be a bit of a sharp shock to the system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Risky strategy<\/h2>\n

Responding to a question about whether it is advisable to apply to a school when a candidate is one point short of the PSLE cut-off points, Lee Han Hwa, principal of St Andrew\u2019s School (Secondary) (SASS), said it is not.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019ve been studying the school AL score at least over the past three years, by and large, the score doesn\u2019t really change,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Goh added that with the Education Ministry introducing choice order in 2021 as a tie-breaker for Sec 1 posting, such risk-taking could result in students wasting their first choice. They might also not get into their second-choice school if other children listed it as their first choice.<\/p>\n

Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School principal Koh Caiyu said families should optimise all six school choices during the Sec 1 posting exercise, instead of narrowly focusing on their top school pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last thing we want is that only the first choice is your go-to, and then the five choices, you just close your eyes and anyhow indicate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

If a child thinks that is the only school he wants to go to, Koh said it can be devastating if the results come out otherwise.<\/p>\n

Anderson Secondary principal Tan Po Chin said families should attend school open houses and speak to current and former students to consider a range of schools that would be a good fit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where you get the most authentic reflection of the school experience… The students\u2019 experiences are the ones that really would reflect the best of what secondary school life is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Classroom diversity<\/h2>\n

One parent asked how a child with good PSLE results might have his learning experience affected when he enters a school where affiliated students are accepted with much lower scores.<\/p>\n

Lee said 60% to 65% of SASS\u2019 Sec 1 students come from St Andrew\u2019s School (Junior), the school\u2019s affiliated primary school.<\/p>\n

While affiliated students can enter with AL scores of between 9 and 22, others need an AL score of below 10.<\/p>\n

To this, Lee said boys develop at different paces, and some bloom when they are older. Regardless, teachers are well-versed in differentiated instruction to cater to students of different abilities.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cMore importantly, we want students who are happy in the classroom, have good interactions with their teachers, and form strong relationships in school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tan Po Chin added that diversity in the classroom allows students to gain different perspectives and hone life skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so much that we can learn from our peers, regardless of their academic score. It\u2019s the way they look at the world, the way they learn… (it) goes beyond just the score you get on the paper,” she said.<\/p>\n

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