12 schools to allow Normal stream students to take subjects at higher level next year

SINGAPORE - From next year, Secondary 1 students in the Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) stream at 12 secondary schools will be able to take certain subjects at a higher level if they had done well for it at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

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Here is the press release from the Ministry of Education:

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is introducing greater flexibility in subject offering at lower secondary levels to better cater to the strengths of students in different subjects. MOE will prototype this in 12 secondary schools in 2014, and aims to implement this in all secondary schools by 2018.

Students posted in 2014 to the Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) courses in these 12 secondary schools will be allowed to take some subjects at a higher level starting from Secondary 1, if they performed well in these subjects at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

In the prototype phase , to ensure that students offer subjects at a higher level only if they are clearly able to cope with and benefit from this flexibility, the criteria for offering subjects at a higher level, at Secondary 1 are as follows: Students who scored A* or A would be able to take a subject at the Express level regardless of whether they are in the Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) course; and students in the Normal (Technical) course who scored B,C or 1 in a Foundation subject could take the subject at the Normal (Academic) level.

For example, a student posted to the Normal (Academic) course and had scored an 'A' for Mathematics at the PSLE will be given the option to offer Mathematics at the Express level at Secondary 1.

Beyond the start of Secondary 1, students in the 12 schools will also have opportunities to offer higher level subjects if they do demonstrate their ability to do so. For example, schools may allow these students to offer subjects at the start of Secondary 2 in 2015 or even earlier if the students show that they would be able to cope with the subject at a higher level. Schools will assess the merits of such students on a case-by-case basis.

This flexibility in subject offering at the lower secondary years builds on the existing flexibility that students already have at upper secondary to take subjects at a higher level. The flexibility for students to laterally transfer course between Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) will continue to be available.

The list of schools includes:

1. Ang Mo Kio Secondary
2. Bedok Green Secondary
3. CHIJ St. Joseph's Convent
4. CHIJ St. Theresa's Convent
5. Jurong Secondary
6. Jurong West Secondary
7. Pei Hwa Secondary
8. Ping Yi Secondary
9. Presbyterian High
10. Queenstown Secondary
11. St. Patrick's
12. Unity Secondary