Foreign students topped O levels again
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FOREIGN students have aced the O-level examinations again.
Of the 25 students who scored nine A1s, half were from outside Singapore: nine of the 25 were from China, two from Malaysia and one from Korea.
Last year, about a dozen out of 39 students with nine A1s - also about a third - were from China.
Their teachers say these students deserve their grades because they work hard and are motivated.
What is more remarkable about the China students is that most of them arrived here as recently as two years ago, with barely a Primary 4 foundation in English.
But if the foreigners seem to figure prominently among those who bag straight As, it is also because the cream of the Singapore student cohort has left the O-level route for the Integrated Programme (IP).
IP students bypass the O-levels, but go on to take the A-level or International Baccalaureate exams.
Among the China students whose results shone on Friday was 18-year-old Cai Sang of Anderson Secondary.
Just 18 months ago, she failed the first English exam she sat for at the school because she could not even understand the questions.
The only daughter of a teacher and civil servant then decided to pour all her energy into the language: She started by memorising the Longman dictionary.
She covered it in half a year, but when that did not improve her grades by much, she decided to change tack by reading the classics.
She said: 'I was frustrated and demoralised because I kept getting C5 and C6 no matter how hard I tried. But I just told myself to keep working at it. It finally paid off.'
She is one of Anderson's two students with nine A1s. The other is Singaporean Tim Wei Lun.
Local students like him are being spurred on by healthy competition from their foreign-born peers.
River Valley High English teacher Muhammed Faizad Salim, 28, who had 12 China students in his class, said they start outdoing the Singaporeans in English in Secondary 4, which stirs up the locals 'because they don't want to lose out'.
The competition pushed at least one Singaporean student to excellence.
Dunman High's Foo Wei Ting, who scored nine A1s, said she often studied with her classmates from China as they were so motivated.
'I heard they studied late into the night in the hostel...so I...wanted to work hard as well,' said the eldest daughter of a senior supervisor and a housewife.
The Ministry of Education also released lists of the top students from each ethnic group on Friday.
The top Malay student was Zulaiha Said from Tanjong Katong Girls, with eight A1s; the top Indian student was Norshima Nashi of Bukit Panjang Government High, with eight A1s and two A2s; and the top Eurasian student was Marialaura Lui from Zhonghua Secondary, with seven A1s.
A total of 38,593 took the exams last year, out of which 31,490 (81.6 per cent) got five or more O-Level passes.
This is slightly better than in 2005, when 80.7 per cent of the 30,212 students bagged five or more passes.
(Straits Times 9 Feb) -
when u already spent so much money to come to a foreign country to study, u are pressured to work hard, relli hard.....
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Especially when you're on a scholarship that keeps close tabs on your performance.Originally posted by FireIce:when u already spent so much money to come to a foreign country to study, u are pressured to work hard, relli hard..... -
actually hor ... I think it's those that can barely afford it that will really mug hard .....Originally posted by FireIce:when u already spent so much money to come to a foreign country to study, u are pressured to work hard, relli hard.....
cos I see plenty of rich farktard ah sia kia's from china or hong kong driving beemers around and can't still graduate from uni even after 5, 6 years .. -
those lish dude from china or HK..
I have seem those hopping from 1 country to another yr after yr still did not make it to any Uni! Going from SG->Aussie->NZ->UK still doing english program! -
I had a Malaysian classmate who was on the SIF scholarship. Though his results weren't sterling and a few teachers kept putting him down, I knew he was humble and he did his best. That's more than can be said of a relative of mine who found out today that he scored 3* points.
To me, being able to live with yourself is the most important thing. -
Some of them have fantastic memory skills, they memorized all the essays and regurgitate them out during exams.
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DOesnt work for english. The new syllabus has been structured in such a manner that it requires one to write an essay based on his experiences and opinions rather than regugitation.Originally posted by maurizio13:Some of them have fantastic memory skills, they memorized all the essays and regurgitate them out during exams. -
they may pass exams with this but they will fail in life.......Originally posted by maurizio13:Some of them have fantastic memory skills, they memorized all the essays and regurgitate them out during exams. -
How would a marker know if the essay was memorized?Originally posted by shade343:DOesnt work for english. The new syllabus has been structured in such a manner that it requires one to write an essay based on his experiences and opinions rather than regugitation.
Experiences and opinions can be memorized too.
One thing I know for sure, these students have excellent memory skills.
I would be impressed if they can do well in an American based test system, where the questions for multiple choice questions are so convoluted, that, unless you understand the theory well, you will never pass the exam. -
Would you rather reassure yourself using that reason, or steel yourself to outdo these human scanners in life?Originally posted by maurizio13:How would a marker know if the essay was memorized?
Experiences and opinions can be memorized too.
One thing I know for sure, these students have excellent memory skills.
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No need for me to reassure myself, I think I am much more capable than them when dealing with dynamic situations, when principles need to be applied.Originally posted by Kuali Baba:Would you rather reassure yourself using that reason, or steel yourself to outdo these human scanners in life?
I have to admit one thing, they have good memory skills, maybe it comes from years of memorizing chinese literatures when in junior school. -
So I mistook you. Apologies for any offence that I caused.Originally posted by maurizio13:No need for me to reassure myself, I think I am much more capable than them when dealing with dynamic situations, when principles need to be applied.
I have to admit one thing, they have good memory skills, maybe it comes from years of memorizing chinese literatures when in junior school. -
if u are toking about foreign students only........sad to say........local students do that oso
and i heard some sch teachers actually force the students to do tt
i understand not everyone is fluent in writing or even able to write......
but to resort to memorising essays to pass exams has a lot to say about our education system....... -
Agreed - that was why I did far better than in Singapore....my hard earned money!Originally posted by FireIce:when u already spent so much money to come to a foreign country to study, u are pressured to work hard, relli hard..... -
I memorised one paragraph specially chose by myself to describe feelings...
and I dumped it in the chinese compo...
BINGO~!! A1... a piece of cake
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Whatever their technique, their hard work stands out.
What is more remarkable about the China students is that most of them arrived here as recently as two years ago, with barely a Primary 4 foundation in English.
From pri 4 English to A1 at O levels in 2 years is astounding. These are not even the best students in China...
All over the world, from Europe through US to Singapore, these Chinese students are picking up top honours in our schools and universities. The competition ahead will only get hotter.. -
Memory skills alone did not help them to score A1s in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and all the other subjects...remember, they had 9 A1sOriginally posted by maurizio13:No need for me to reassure myself, I think I am much more capable than them when dealing with dynamic situations, when principles need to be applied.
I have to admit one thing, they have good memory skills, maybe it comes from years of memorizing chinese literatures when in junior school. -
Qualification doesn't mean anything to me; Knowledge, Character, & Passion are more important.
Acing academics does not necessarily make a successful individual. I certainly didn't ace my academics... -
I'm not sure about that ... I think PSLE math is a much more cerebral exercise than O' level E or A maths ...Originally posted by oxford mushroom:Memory skills alone did not help them to score A1s in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and all the other subjects...remember, they had 9 A1s
at O' levels with a couple of decades of 10 years series you can hardly get surprised by anything they throw at you ...
it's no distinction when approximately 70 to 90 % of students get distinctions for E and A maths and certain schools (yes, I'm talking about mine, a non-SAP neighbourhood school )
ditto the sciences ... -
No doubt the value of an A1 nowadays is much lower than my time, when only a handful can manage even 7 A1s. That said, there are plenty of local students in another thread trying to appeal to get into JC with 20 points!Originally posted by Fatum:I'm not sure about that ... I think PSLE math is a much more cerebral exercise than O' level E or A maths ...
at O' levels with a couple of decades of 10 years series you can hardly get surprised by anything they throw at you ...
it's no distinction when approximately 70 to 90 % of students get distinctions for E and A maths and certain schools (yes, I'm talking about mine, a non-SAP neighbourhood school )
ditto the sciences ... -
Getting from Pr4 standard English to A1 at O levels in two years demonstrates the determination of character and passion in what he does, more than anything else....Originally posted by ShutterBug:Qualification doesn't mean anything to me; Knowledge, Character, & Passion are more important.
Acing academics does not necessarily make a successful individual. I certainly didn't ace my academics... -
like what oxford mushroom has said, their A1 for Math, Chem, Phy did not come by with just memorization.Originally posted by maurizio13:How would a marker know if the essay was memorized?
Experiences and opinions can be memorized too.
One thing I know for sure, these students have excellent memory skills.
I would be impressed if they can do well in an American based test system, where the questions for multiple choice questions are so convoluted, that, unless you understand the theory well, you will never pass the exam.
The chinese that fought out to get out of China are doing very well all over the world. The 3rd or 4th chinese in foreign country just believe they have the chinese blood so born smart and ya ya. -
I'll throw in a poser: How many of them offered Literature?
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my rich china fren...cannot endure my teacher's scoldings etc..just shifted to australia to study...
